


Mind Games

by LadyShelley



Series: Team Rebuilding [9]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Compliant, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 58,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28576002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyShelley/pseuds/LadyShelley
Summary: Sheppard's team is trapped by an Ancient machine and forced to relive some of their worst memories over and over again. With no way to shut the machine down, it's up to John to save the others before they all end up imprisoned by the device forever.
Relationships: Canon Relationships - Relationship
Series: Team Rebuilding [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1316210
Comments: 77
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone reading these adventures and anyone who has left comments and/or kudos on my previous stories. Writers love to hear from readers! 
> 
> This story takes place between S2E11 _The Hive_ and S2E12 _Epiphany_. It also takes place two weeks after my previous story, _The Ties That Bind_ , so you might want to read that one first if you haven't already as there is some carry-over and you may be confused otherwise. 
> 
> A million thanks to Lyn for the beta reading.

* * *

Teyla knelt, examined the ground where the passage of several animals had churned up the soft dirt, and nodded to herself. 

"We are close," she said in a low voice to Telus crouched behind her. 

Telus nodded and passed the message on to the four other hunters with them. 

It felt good to be out in the forest, breathing in the spicy scent of the pine trees, feeling the soft ground give slightly under her boots as she walked. As much as she loved Atlantis, there was a sterility to the city with its metal and glass architecture and filtered air. A beam of sunlight broke through the trees, and Teyla closed her eyes as the light warmed her face. 

A branch snapped ahead of them, breaking her out of her reverie, and Teyla glanced at the small group of men and women behind her. 

"I believe the herd went in this direction," she said, and jerked her chin off to the right of the path they followed. 

Teyla stopped at the edge of a clearing a few minutes later and carefully parted the branches of a tree as she watched a group of deer feeding on berries. She nodded to Telus, who checked the clearing and smiled. "You always were an excellent tracker," he said and turned to the group waiting behind them. 

Telus directed the others to take up positions around the clearing. The men and women nodded and silently moved through the low scrub. 

Teyla waited for the other archers to move into flanking positions on either side of her, then calmly raised her bow and waited for the right moment to shoot. Her hunting party had spent most of the morning tracking the small herd; now it was merely a matter of patience. She took a deep breath, slowly blew it out, and just as her chosen animal raised its head, she released the arrow. 

More arrows flew into the clearing, and three of the deer fell as the rest of the herd ran for the safety of the trees. 

"Well shot," Telus congratulated her as the others hurried into the clearing and surrounded the downed animals. "There should be enough meat to last the village for several weeks." 

Teyla smiled in agreement as Telus prepared the animals for transport back to the village. 

She had to admit it felt good to be back out in nature, doing something productive for her people. As promised, Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Weir had arranged for her to spend the time while the science teams conducted their exploration of the mainland with the Athosians. The last two weeks had been a welcome chance for her to reconnect with her people. And the efforts by Rodney's science teams had benefited the village as well. 

It had only taken a few days for Doctor Volkov and his team to complete their geologic survey of the land surrounding the village. Not only had Doctor Volkov reassured her there was little chance of more sinkholes, his team had also helped find a better water source and dig a new well for the village. 

Teyla had also met with the village council to plan the crop rotations for the next year and decide which planets would be suitable for trade as the harvest neared. She had even had time for Charin to give her a few cooking lessons, including how to make tuttle-root soup. 

Teyla smiled at the memory of eagerly trying her version of Charin's recipe. The soup had been bad, no question, but they had both laughed at the attempt. 

"You did not completely peel the roots," Charin told her as they tried not to gag on the bitter soup.

"I think it is more than that," Teyla said as she set her bowl aside. "I will simply never be as good of a cook as you are." 

"It only takes practice, my dear," Charin said with a smile and stood. "Come, we will join the others in the main tent, instead. We can try again tomorrow." 

"I think we're ready to head back," Telus said, shaking Teyla out of the memory. 

Teyla glanced at the carcasses tied to long poles ready for transport back to the village and nodded. She picked up one end of the pole, waited for Telus to take the other end, and led the way back to the village. 

It was early afternoon when the hunting party arrived at the edge of the village. Teyla watched another of the jumpers lift off from the field behind the tents, the sunlight glinting off the cockpit windows, and she raised a hand in farewell. The ship circled the village, then flew out over the forest. 

The sight of the ship reminded her it had been several days since she had heard any updates from the science teams exploring the mainland. Rodney had promised he would keep her informed of any new discoveries made by the various science teams, but he had been spending more time on Ymber with Colonel Sheppard the last two weeks than on the mainland or even in Atlantis. 

Teyla felt a stab of guilt at the fact her team had been on another planet without her and adjusted her grip on the pole. 

"They are fine," she told herself. "They are only there to examine the dart. There was no need for you to be there." 

She watched the jumper sail out over the trees, sighed, and made a mental note to check in with Doctor Brown, the head of the research teams exploring the area, for an update. 

Once the jumper disappeared, Teyla nodded to Telus and walked into the tent village with the rest of the hunting party. Several people milling around the village square hurried forward, relieved the hunters of their heavy burden, and carried the animals to the cooling tent on the far side of the village near the trees. 

"A good hunt," Teyla said to Telus and the others as they hung the deer from frames attached to the roof supports of the tent. 

"We will send some of the meat back to the city," Rada said as she stepped back from one of the animals. "In thanks for Doctor Volkov's assistance with the well." 

"I am sure the gift will be appreciated," Teyla agreed. 

She left the cooling tent and walked back through the village, enjoying the warm weather, and guilty feelings regarding Sheppard and the others aside, the time she could spend with her people. 

She smiled at a group of children seated on the ground in front of Olette as she told stories about the history of Athos and of their people. 

"Jeeta! Come back here!" Isla called from one of the nearby tents. 

Teyla turned and saw a small boy dart out of a tent, giggling as he toddled toward her with Isla in pursuit. Teyla scooped the boy up and held him in her arms. 

"And where do you think you are going?" Teyla asked the boy with a smile as she tickled Jeeta's knee. 

"Tree!" Jeeta told her and pointed at the nearby forest. 

"I think you are a little young to explore the trees," Teyla replied with a smile. 

Jeeta stared at her for a moment, then clapped his hands together, and held his arms out to Isla as she stopped in front of Teyla.

"Mama!" Jeeta called and giggled again. "Tree!" 

"Thank you for catching him, Teyla," Isla said with an exasperated smile as Teyla handed over the toddler. "I think I liked it better before he started walking." 

"I do not know how you manage alone," Teyla replied as they walked back to Isla's tent. 

"Mother helps," Isla said. "As do many of the others. I do wish …" Isla's voice trailed off and she wiped her eyes. 

Jeeta stared at her for a moment, then patted her cheek and wrapped his arms around Isla's neck. 

"Julen was so excited when he found out he would be a father again," Teyla said. "He would be so proud of you. And of his son." 

Isla gave her a watery smile as Jeeta squirmed in her arms, and she turned toward the tent. "It is time for someone's nap," She said as Jeeta tried to worm out of her hold on him. "I will see you later," she said and ducked under the tent flap. 

Teyla stood outside the tent for a few seconds, listening to Jeeta babble about the trees as she thought about Julen and their six-year-old daughter, Idun, taken in a culling only a few months before Sheppard arrived on Athos. Thanks to that meeting, her people were safe from more cullings which was not something that could be said for any other planet in the galaxy. It was one of the many reasons she wanted to maintain her role on Colonel Sheppard's team. It was her way of ensuring no more children would suffer the loss of a parent to the Wraith. 

Teyla strolled back through the village, acknowledging the greetings from the men and women with a wave and a smile. She stopped to speak to more than one group, hearing the latest news about illnesses, achievements, and the general village gossip. It was a welcome change from two weeks ago when she had felt more like an outsider than a member of the community. 

"Teyla!" Halling called and waved to her from where he sat outside another of the Athosian tents. Several tools were laid out on the table in front of him along with a whetstone and a small pail of water. A pair of crutches lay on the ground next to him. 

"Halling," Teyla replied with a smile and a wave as she walked over to him. 

"The hunting went well?" he asked. 

Teyla stopped at the end of the table and nodded. "Three good-sized animals," she replied. 

"Well done," Halling told her, and Teyla thought she heard a hint of pride in his tone. 

She watched him sharpen one of the knives on the table then asked, "How are you feeling today?" 

Halling shrugged. "The bones ache," he replied as he set the now-sharp knife to one side and picked up another. 

"Do you still have the medicine Doctor Beckett gave you?" 

"I do, as well as a poultice Olette says should help, but they can only do so much." 

Teyla started to say something else, but Halling stopped her with a raised hand. 

"There is no need to be concerned," he told her and thumped the cast on his leg. "I will be fine." 

Teyla turned away and stared at the sinkhole near the edge of the forest. Doctor Volkov had told her there wasn't much they could do to fill the hole since it was so deep. The news did not come as much of a surprise to her. She was still amazed Halling and Beckett had survived the fall into the pit with only a few broken bones. 

She had proposed using wood from the trees felled at the same time the pit had formed to build a cover over the hole, preventing anyone else from falling into the pit by accident. The council had agreed, and Kanaan had led a group of young men into the forest to retrieve the needed wood. Now the trees sat off to one side awaiting additional manpower and tools from the city before the work could commence. Sheppard had assured her they could have a cover built in a matter of days thanks to the power tools the Earth people had with them. 

Halling glanced up at her as he sharpened another knife. "Teyla? Is anything the matter?" 

"No," she replied with a smile. "Everything is fine." Halling gave her a measured glance, but before he could say anything, Teyla continued, "I was on my way to see Doctor Brown. Is there anything you need?" 

Halling shook his head. "Jinto should be along soon." He waved a hand at the newly sharpened knives and tools on the table. "And I am almost done." 

"In that case, I will see you later," she replied. 

Halling nodded, and Teyla headed for a large tent near the clearing used for the jumpers. 

"Doctor Brown?" Teyla called from outside the tent a few moments later. "May I come in?" 

"Teyla!" Doctor Katie Brown replied and pushed back the tent flap. "I'm glad you stopped by. I'm just wrapping up my latest update on our research for Doctor Weir." 

Teyla walked into the tent and looked around. Tables lined one wall of the tent. Clear plastic bins sat in rows on the tables, each containing a bundle of plants. Papers, a laptop computer, and what looked like several large maps were strewn across another table that Teyla assumed Doctor Brown used as a desk.

Teyla walked over to the desk and picked up one of the maps. "This is what the landmass looks like?" she asked as she studied the map. 

"The continent is huge," Brown said as she stopped next to Teyla. "We still need to do the topographic survey, and I want to suggest to Doctor Weir that we consider a long term expedition to explore the landmass in greater detail than what we could get from aerial surveys alone." 

"Such an expedition would take months," Teyla said. 

"More like years," Brown replied. "But I think it would be worth the effort. Imagine everything we could learn!" 

Teyla saw the excitement in Doctor Brown's expression and smiled. "Where is the village?" she asked as she studied the detailed drawing. 

"We're here," Brown said and pointed to a corner of the map near the coast. "This area is mostly temperate rainforest." 

She pointed to another section of the map lower down and near the middle of the map. "The landmass through here stretches beyond the planet's equator where the ecosystem is tropical. Sergeant Stackhouse reported several sandy beaches when he did a flyover of the area last week." She smiled and added. "He said he planned to suggest to Doctor Weir that the expedition needed to build a few cabanas on the beach in case anyone wanted to take a vacation from the city." 

Teyla studied the map for a few seconds, then set it aside and wandered over to the rows of plastic bins of plants lined along a table against the back wall of the tent. 

"You have added to your collection," she said with a smile. 

"I could spend months just in the forest near the village," Brown replied. 

Teyla smiled at the eager enthusiasm in her voice. Rodney often sounded the same whenever he discovered the purpose for one of the Ancestor's devices. 

"Did you know many of the plants growing here," Doctor Brown waved her hand toward the trees visible from the tent, "are also common to the Pacific Northwest of the United States?" 

"I did not," Teyla replied. 

"It's amazing!" Brown said. "It will take us years to sort out the genetics between the genus' here and those on Earth." She walked over to the table and picked up one of the bins. 

"Huckleberries, ferns," Brown said as she pointed to the different bins sitting on the table. "This one looks exactly like shallon," she said, holding out the bin in her hand.

"We call it gaultheria," Teyla said, picking up the carefully tied bundle from its bin. The leaves were small and attached to a woody stem. "When brewed into a tea, the leaves are good for coughs. The berries are often baked into bread." 

Doctor Brown nodded and pointed to the other end of the table. "While there are several plants in common with Earth, I have never seen examples of plants like these before," she explained. 

Teyla looked over the bundles. "You should take care with this one," she said and pointed to one of the bins. The leaves of the plant inside were a bright, glossy green while the berries were small and yellow. "Both the leaves and the berries are highly toxic." 

Doctor Brown untaped the card attached to the front of the bin and made a note. "Thank you," she said. "If you don't mind, I would really appreciate any help you could offer with this project." 

"I am happy to help in any way that I can," Teyla replied. "You may also wish to speak to Olette and Rada. Both know of many more plants in the forest, both beneficial and dangerous than I do." 

Doctor Brown nodded and taped the card back in place. "I'll do that," she replied with a hesitant smile. 

She glanced at Teyla then focused on the bins in front of her as she nervously pushed the containers around, making sure they were perfectly squared along the back of the table. 

"Doctor Brown? Is everything all right?" Teyla asked. 

"Yes, yes, of course," Doctor Brown replied. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime." She twitched another of the bins into place and smiled, but Teyla heard the false note in her tone and saw the way she hunched her shoulders when Teyla looked at her. 

"I am certain you will make many new scientific discoveries, thanks to your research," Teyla offered. She frowned when instead of agreement, Brown gave her a hesitant glance before she focused on one of the bundles of plants. "You do not believe this to be the case?" 

"It's not that," Doctor Brown replied, with a tiny smile. "I …" She paused and shook her head. "I, umm …" She took a deep breath and faced Teyla. "Do you know why Doctor McKay put me in charge of the planet survey?" 

Teyla shook her head. "I would assume because you are the best qualified." She nodded her head toward the bins of plants. "You have made great progress in just the short time you have been here." 

"Maybe." Brown tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. She tapped one of the bins and added. "I can't help but wonder if it was to get me out of the city." 

"Why would Rodney choose to do such a thing?" Teyla asked. 

Doctor Brown looked over at her in disbelief. "You and he are on the same team," she said. "Everyone in the city knows how close-knit you all are. Surely he said something to you about what happened on our date a few months ago." 

Teyla thought back to the week she had spent on the mainland when Charin was ill. At the time, she'd had no idea what had happened to Rodney and Lieutenant Cadman on Thenora. By the time she returned to the city, Rodney and Lieutenant Cadman were back to their usual selves. Colonel Sheppard had told her a little of what had happened, but Rodney had refused to say much about what had occurred while he was sharing his body with the Lieutenant. 

"In the months since then …" Brown sighed and looked out the tent flap. "I think this is just another way for him to avoid me," Brown admitted softly. 

"I am certain that is not the case," Teyla replied. 

Brown gave her a tiny smile and shook her head. 

Teyla started to say something else when she was interrupted by the radio. 

"Sheppard to Teyla," Sheppard said.

Teyla nodded to Brown and stepped out of the tent. "This is Teyla. Is everything all right, Colonel?" 

"Everything's fine. McKay wants to make another run out to Ymber to play with the dart. Wanted to see if you were interested in coming along." 

Teyla looked around at the activity in the village. She had planned to check in with a few of the other villagers, and there was a council meeting planned for that evening. On the other hand, she reminded herself, her team had made two other trips to Ymber over the last two weeks, and she had begged off joining them. 

"You can say no," Sheppard told her. "We're not expecting any trouble." 

Teyla smiled. While she had enjoyed the time on the mainland, maybe it was time to return to the city. For a few days, at least. 

"I believe I will join you and the others," Teyla said. 

"Good," Sheppard replied, and Teyla could imagine the smile on his face. "I'll let Elizabeth know." 

"Do I have time to speak to Charin and a few of the other villagers before you arrive on the mainland?" 

"Shouldn't be a problem," Sheppard replied. "Stackhouse is ferrying out another group of scientists. They should be ready to leave in an hour. Will that give you enough time?" 

"That will be more than enough. Thank you, Colonel." 

"Okay, then. We'll meet in the gateroom once you get back." 

"Understood. Teyla out." Teyla tapped her earpiece and turned back to Doctor Brown.

"Go," Brown said with a tiny smile. "I will speak to Rada and Olette as you suggested and we can go over my findings once you return." 

Teyla nodded. "I am certain everything with Rodney will work out in time," she said.

Brown stepped back and braced one hand on the table with the maps. "Maybe," she muttered. 

Teyla wasn't sure what else to say, and merely nodded in farewell. She stepped outside and turned toward Charin's tent. It seemed her next cooking lesson would be delayed. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney walked into his lab and dropped the bottles of water and power bars he'd picked up from the mess hall on the desk and tried to ignore Zelenka talking behind him. 

"I still think you should wait until the _Daedalus_ can bring the dart back to Atlantis before you attempt any flight tests," Zelenka said as he followed Rodney into the room, holding a tablet computer in one hand.

"I've already had this discussion with Sheppard and Elizabeth," Rodney retorted as he pulled his backpack out from under the desk and stuffed the laptop computer inside. "The _Daedalus_ isn't due to return for almost a month. I'm not going to wait until it gets back here to start on the important research. Material samples and a data dump from the dart's computer are no match for actual in-the-field flight tests."

He added the bundle of cables from the corner of the desk to the pack and looked around for his roll of tools. 

"Colonel Sheppard agreed to assist with the tests?" 

"Of course, he did," Rodney replied, and scowled when he heard Radek snicker. "He's the only one who can fly it. He doesn't get a lot of choice."

"I know the feeling," Radek muttered under his breath.

Rodney glared at Zelenka who merely stood near the work table watching Rodney pack. "Any news from the research teams on the mainland?" 

Radek tapped something on the computer screen. "The survey teams are expanding out from the village to the rest of the continent. The geologists are requesting a long-term expedition into the mountains to the south. Their initial survey recorded a number of impressive mineral readings." 

Rodney nodded. "Saw those during Sheppard's little field trip." 

"They have also found a few fossilised bones in some of their testbeds. Doctor Volkov has put in a request for a palaeontology team to check the sites." 

"Oh, the SGC will love trying to explain that in a non-disclosure statement." Rodney shook his head. "Anything else?" 

"The seismic sensors are all in place, Sergeant Stackhouse is readying a jumper to fly the next group of biologists out to the mainland to start a census of the various animal species." 

Radek looked up from the computer, giving Rodney a knowing glance. "And Doctor Brown believes she has discovered several new plant species as well as many that appear common to the Pegasus galaxy and Earth." 

Rodney grunted at the news and tried not to think about Katie Brown. He still had no idea how to interact with her since their disastrous date. She had tried to start a few conversations with him both in the hallways outside his lab and in the mess hall since then. Each time he had mumbled an excuse and left as quickly as he could. He kept hoping she would take the hint and let any idea of a relationship between them drop. 

He walked back to his desk and picked up the bottles of water and power bars. "What about the repairs to Jumper Six?" he asked as he stuffed the extra food and water in the pack and zipped it closed. 

"Tsao is already working on repairs to the secondary systems. We cannot do anything about the drive systems until _Daedalus_ returns with the materials we need. If everything goes to plan, we should have the jumper flight worthy a few weeks after that." 

Rodney nodded even though he hated the prolonged delay. 

They were lucky the jumper was in any condition to be repaired at all. Stackhouse's team had run into a Wraith outpost while on a simple planet survey and the ship had been grazed by a lucky shot from a Wraith dart as Stackhouse approached the stargate on P2Z-845. The dart had caught them only a short distance from the 'gate, and Stackhouse had managed to keep the jumper under control long enough for the automatic systems to engage, allowing them to escape, and more importantly, not lose the shuttle. 

As it was, the ship had sustained serious damage to the drive system from the initial hit. Most of the secondary systems were overloaded as Stackhouse fought to keep the jumper airborne long enough to get home. 

"At least two more months with the jumper out of commission," Rodney muttered to himself. 

"It cannot be helped," Radek replied. 

"No," Rodney agreed. He shook his head as he picked up the pack and walked toward the door. 

They had already lost one of the ships on Lurra and another on Olesia due to crashes. They had lost a third ship when Markham was shot down defending the city. Needless to say, they couldn't afford to lose any more. It wasn't like they could call up the manufacturer and order new ones. 

"You're starting the exploration of the next tower today, aren't you?" Rodney asked.

Radek nodded as he followed Rodney out of the lab. "Yes. According to the database, that tower should have some worthwhile research or technology. There are what appears to be several large, open spaces. They could be research labs or some sort of testing facility." 

"Fine," Rodney said as he swiped at the sensor for the transporter. "I should be back in a couple of days. If you find anything interesting over there, wait for me to get back before you go tampering with it." 

Zelenka made a face and Rodney grinned. "Don't blow up my city while I'm gone," he added as the transporter door closed. 

He walked into the gateroom a few minutes later, adjusting the holster for his Beretta, and looked around. "Are we leaving or not?" he asked Sheppard as the 'gate remained quiet.

"We're waiting for Teyla," Sheppard replied. "Stackhouse just landed, so she should be here soon."

"Oh, umm, okay." 

"Problem?" Ronon asked.

"Hmm? No, just surprised Teyla decided to come with us," Rodney replied. "She's been spending a lot of time on the mainland recently." 

"She has responsibilities to her people, too, you know," Sheppard said. 

"Yes, yes, yes, I know that," Rodney retorted. "I, just … You know what, never mind." 

It was a few more minutes before Rodney heard footsteps coming from the direction of the armoury, and Teyla walked into the gateroom. 

"Colonel," Teyla greeted. She smiled at Rodney and Ronon. "I apologise if I have kept you waiting long." 

"No need," Sheppard said and looked up at the control room. "Chuck, dial us up." 

"Yes, sir," Chuck called back, and Rodney watched as the lights ran around the 'gate. 

A few seconds later the wormhole formed with a whoosh. 

"Colonel, we'll see you in a few days," Elizabeth said from the railing overlooking the gateroom. 

"Roger that," Sheppard said. He stepped through the 'gate, and Rodney followed a few steps behind. 

"Something's wrong," Ronon said as soon as the 'gate shut down. He pulled out his particle weapon and stalked over to the DHD.

Rodney looked around at the empty clearing. "There's no one here," he said. 

"No, Ronon is correct," Teyla said, raising her P-90. "Something has frightened the insects and animals. Everything is too still." 

Rodney gave the clearing another wary look and felt his heart speed up. 

"Fan out," Sheppard ordered as he readied his P-90. 

Rodney unholstered his Beretta and started to follow Sheppard, but John pushed him down behind the DHD. 

"Stay here," John said. "If we need to make a quick exit, you need to dial the 'gate."

Rodney swallowed and nodded as Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla paced across the clearing to the nearby trees. 

"Anything?" Sheppard asked over the open radio channel a few minutes later. 

"Nothing," Teyla replied. 

"The ground is bad for holding tracks," Ronon added. "Someone might still be here, but there's no way to tell who or how many of them there might be." 

Rodney stood up and walked over to John. "So are we staying or not?" 

Sheppard studied the trees for a moment then waved at Ronon. "Take point," he said. "Keep your eyes open." 

Ronon nodded and led the way into the woods. 

It was a thirty-minute walk to the clearing where they had moved the dart on their first return mission to Ymber, and Rodney kept one wary eye on the surrounding trees as he followed Sheppard.

"Don't say it," Rodney ordered after they had been walking for a few minutes. 

"Say what?" John asked, and Rodney heard the note of false innocence in his tone. 

"You were right, okay? It was a good idea to move the dart away from the 'gate the first time we came back here." 

John turned around and grinned. "Told you." 

"I said, don't say it!" Rodney exclaimed, and Sheppard chuckled.

Rodney was still grumbling under his breath when Teyla fell into step next to him and said, "Have you learnt much about the dart yet?" 

Rodney glanced over at her and shook his head. "Not really. I dumped the computer on our first trip back, but to get any real data," he glanced at Sheppard's back and raised his voice, "I need to take readings while someone is flying it." 

John turned around. "And I agreed." 

"Hovering a couple of meters off the ground is not what I meant," Rodney retorted. 

"Well, it's the best you're going to get until we have the dart secured back in Atlantis." 

Rodney glowered at Sheppard's back and muttered under his breath. 

"I saw Doctor Brown on the mainland this morning," Teyla said with a smile. 

Rodney glanced at her, then focused on the surrounding trees. 

"She believes you have sent her to the mainland to avoid any contact with her," Teyla continued. 

Rodney grunted and refused to meet Teyla's eyes. 

The truth was he had put Katie in charge of the science teams on the mainland in part to avoid any more awkward conversations in the hallways. He didn't know what to say to her, he didn't want to hear anything she had to say to him, and he just wanted the whole embarrassing problem to go away.

"You should speak to her," Teyla said. "Tell her why you are avoiding her." 

"I'm not …" 

Teyla pursed her lips, and Rodney tried again. 

"There's nothing to say," he muttered and hurried to catch up with Sheppard. 

Ten minutes later they walked into another clearing and Rodney stared in disbelief at the empty field in front of him. "Where's --" he started to ask. 

"Down!" Ronon shouted as several Wraith stun beams shot out of the surrounding trees. 

Rodney ducked and fell back as one of the beams flew over his head. "Where did they come from?" he exclaimed to no one in particular as Ronon, Sheppard and Teyla returned fire. "This planet is deserted!" 

"Worry about that later," Sheppard replied as he fired another burst into the trees. "Get back to the 'gate!" 

Teyla fired at another Wraith drone coming out of the trees behind them, then led the way back to the clearing with the 'gate.

Rodney started to follow her but froze when another drone blocked his path. The drone arched its back as Rodney heard gunfire behind it. He instinctively ducked when a red beam of light passed by him and looked up in surprise when the energy beam hit the Wraith drone. 

The drone fell to the ground with a neat hole in its chest. Rodney saw Teyla drop her aim at the same time Ronon shouted, "Run!" behind him. 

Rodney needed no more encouragement. Teyla turned and ran through the trees, Rodney only a few steps behind her. He heard Ronon and Sheppard shooting behind him, glanced back, and saw two more drones fall to the ground as three more took up the chase. 

The thirty-minute hike to the clearing was a heart-stopping race back to the stargate. Rodney heard another burst of fire behind him from Sheppard's P-90 along with the whine of Ronon's particle weapon as he dodged around a tree. The tree disintegrated a few seconds later when a Wraith blast hit it. 

He was fumbling for the Beretta on his hip when Sheppard and Ronon caught up to him. 

"Keep moving," Sheppard ordered, and pushed Rodney in the direction of the 'gate. 

Rodney waited until Ronon dropped another of the drones then ran after Teyla. He burst out of the trees a few minutes later and found four more Wraith drones standing guard at the DHD. 

Teyla was already crouched behind a boulder, returning fire, and Rodney ducked down beside her as more stun beams shot in their direction. He pulled out the Beretta, fired in what he hoped was the vicinity of the Wraith, and heard the sharp report from Teyla's P-90 next to him. 

One of the Wraith fell, Rodney wasn't sure which of them had hit it. He fired a few more shots before the Beretta clicked empty and he fumbled for the extra magazine. 

He had the gun reloaded, looked up, and saw another of the drones drop and lie still as Teyla shifted her aim toward one of the two Wraith still near the DHD. Rodney pointed the Beretta and was ready to shoot again when he heard a noise behind him. At the same time, several red beams shot over his head, hitting the two remaining drones as Ronon and Sheppard ran into the clearing. 

"There's still a few of them behind us," Sheppard said as he turned and fired behind him. "Rodney, dial the 'gate!"

Rodney scurried over to the DHD, punched in the address for Atlantis, and watched as the wormhole formed. As soon as the event horizon settled, he punched in his IDC and ducked as more Wraith blasts flew into the clearing. 

"Go!" Sheppard ordered. "We're right behind you." 

Rodney glanced back, saw Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla backing toward the 'gate and made a run for it. 

He skidded to a stop in the gateroom and ducked as a stun beam hit the wall near the steps leading up to the control room. The guard detail for the gateroom surged forward as Rodney bent with his hands braced on his knees as Teyla, Ronon, and Sheppard followed him a few seconds later. 

"Raise the shield!" Sheppard ordered. 

The shield flared, and Rodney grimaced when he heard several impacts against the energy field before the 'gate shut down. 

"Was that Wraith or more stun beams?" he asked, standing up straight and staring at the 'gate as the shield disengaged. 

"Doesn't matter," Ronon replied and holstered his particle weapon. 

"What happened? Are all of you all right?" Elizabeth asked as she ran down the steps from the control room. 

"We walked into an ambush," Sheppard told her. He glanced from Ronon to Teyla, and finally to Rodney. "Any ideas on why they were there?" 

"Scouting for a new base?" Teyla suggested. 

"Bad luck," Ronon offered. "For them anyway." 

Rodney snapped his fingers several times. "Homing beacon," he said and glanced from John to Elizabeth. When both of them gave him a blank look, he added, "The dart. It had to have some sort of homing signal. The Wraith just followed the signal. The planet is deserted, there's no other reason for them to be there. It had to be something inside the dart." 

Elizabeth gave him a startled look. "We've had the dart from Thenora in one of the large hangers for months now. Are you telling me the Wraith can track it?" 

"There was barely anything left of that dart," Rodney told her with a dismissive wave. "We're lucky we got what little information from it that we did." He shuddered at the memory of him and Carson trapped in a buried Ancient ship after the Wraith attacked Drellim. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to study this one." 

"What about the dart Lieutenant Ford found?" Teyla asked. "Why did the Wraith not discover his encampment?" 

Rodney shook his head. "Who knows how long that one had been sitting on that planet waiting for Ford to come along with his crazy plan. There were so many damaged systems it was barely flight-worthy." 

"Now you tell me," John grumbled. 

Rodney ignored him. "The point is, the beacon must have been damaged in that one as well." He glanced back at the 'gate. "I guess it was a good thing the _Daedalus_ didn't have time to pick up the dart before returning to Earth." 

"I think it goes without saying there won't be any return trips to Ymber any time soon," Elizabeth said. 

"Too bad, I was getting used to the place," Sheppard said. "Wasn't half bad when it wasn't raining." 

"Doesn't matter now," Rodney replied with a shrug. "The dart is gone." He shrugged off his backpack as he walked out of the gateroom. He hoped Radek was having a better day than he was. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Radek glanced up from the computer on the work table as Sergeant Thompson and his team walked into the lab, followed by several additional Marines. 

"Hey, Doc," Thompson said as he nodded to the huddle of scientists already in the room. "We're ready to go whenever you are." 

"Yes, yes, Sergeant, thank you," Radek replied and turned back to the men and women in front of him. "Each of you has your assignments. This is survey only, please. Film the rooms you find and note any items of interest. Once we have an idea of what is there, we can prioritise which rooms are worth a closer look." 

He waited until the scientists in front of him nodded, then turned to Thompson. "Sergeant?" 

Thompson nodded and stepped forward. "Two Marines will accompany each team," he said. "They need to clear any rooms before you enter," he said with a glance at the scientists huddled around Radek's work table. "Let's keep everyone safe." 

Radek smiled as the teams in front of him gathered up their gear. "Each team has someone with the ATA gene, however, I must say again, do not touch any items you may find in the rooms." 

"Yeah, wouldn't want to find something interesting before McKay," someone at the back of the room muttered a little too loudly. 

Radek glared at the back corner. "Those of you with the gene are only to trigger doors and lights. As Sergeant Thompson said, stay safe." 

As each scientific team prepared to leave, Thompson assigned two Marines to each group until only he, Sergeant Garcia, and Radek's team of scientists were left. 

"Lead the way, Doc," Thompson said as they headed back to the transporter. 

Once the transporter opened on the floor of the new tower Radek had assigned to his group, Thompson and Garcia stepped out and checked the hallway. 

From what Radek could see, the transporter opened into a sort of atrium with hallways leading away in three different directions. 

Thompson glanced at Garcia a few moments later and both men lowered their weapons. Thompson turned and nodded to Radek, who led his group into the atrium and pulled the tablet computer out of his pack. 

"Where do you want to start?" Thompson asked. 

"That way, I believe," Radek replied and pointed down the hallway to their right. "According to the Ancient database, there should be several large rooms that may be of interest." 

Thompson nodded to Garcia. "Take point. I've got our six." 

"Yes, Sergeant," Garcia replied and led the way down the hall to the first room. 

It didn't take them long to work out a system to quickly search the rooms dotting the corridor. Doctor Marcus followed Garcia as they checked each room, triggering the controls for the door and the lights allowing Garcia to clear each room. Once Garcia gave the all-clear, the rest of the group followed him inside. 

The first few rooms they checked held little of interest. Most of them were empty, though Radek did find a supply of what looked like spare parts for various systems in one of the rooms. He waited until Doctor Matthews finished filming the room, then nodded to Sergeant Thompson. 

"You sure you want to keep going, Doc?" Thompson asked as they left the room. "There doesn't seem to be much on this floor." 

"There are only a few rooms left down this hallway, Sergeant, and Doctor McKay wants a thorough record." 

"You're the boss," Thompson replied. He gestured to Sergeant Garcia, who led the way to the next door. 

"Looks like a military barracks," Garcia said a moment later as the lights came up in the room. 

"I do not believe the Ancients had such basic living quarters, Sergeant," Radek replied as he walked into the room with his head down as he made a few notes in the computer. "Then again, I could be wrong," he finished as he gazed around the room. 

Beds lined the wall opposite the door, each partitioned from the next by a wall that reached three-quarters of the way to the ceiling. Along with the bed, each space contained a narrow desk, a chair, and a small storage cabinet. Another row of beds stood along the wall with the door. A long table stood in the middle of the room with ten chairs on each of its long sides. 

"It is strange, most of the living quarters we have found are private rooms, like the ones we are using in the central tower," Radek said as he walked down the row of beds. "Why would this tower be different?" 

"There doesn't seem to be anything else here," Doctor Matthews said. "Do you still want it filmed?" 

Radek looked up to see Matthews standing in the doorway, holding the small video camera in his hands. "Yes, yes, go ahead." He glanced at his watch and made a note on the map displayed on the computer. 

Once Matthews was done filming, Thompson led the way out of the room. There were three more doors along the hallway. Behind each one was another room with the same layout of basic accommodations. 

"Well, that was pretty much a bust," Radek heard Doctor Marcus mutter as they left the last room.

Radek couldn't help his silent agreement at the sentiment. "Perhaps the next corridor will be more interesting," he said with a glance at Marcus. 

Marcus grunted and fell into step behind Garcia. 

Radek brought up the rear of their little procession with Thompson beside him. He really hoped the next corridor would yield something of interest. He would never hear the end of it from Rodney if the only thing the exploration teams found in the tower was floor after floor of dormitories.

They walked back to the atrium, and Garcia glanced from one hallway to the next. "Any preference?" 

"We may as well see what's down the middle corridor, Sergeant," Radek replied. 

There were fewer rooms along the second hallway. Radek followed Garcia and Marcus into the first room and let out a breath when he saw rows of tables in the middle of the room and counters lined along the walls. A few Ancient devices sat on the counters, and Radek saw more stored on shelves behind glass doors. 

"This remind anyone else of college Chem classes?" Matthews asked as he filmed the room. 

Radek nodded. "There is a resemblance, yes," he said with a smile. "It would make sense. This was a city. There had to be a way for the Ancients to educate their young." 

"So we found the boarding school?" Thompson asked as they walked out of the room. "I don't think Doctor McKay is going to be impressed." 

Radek smiled. "No, I do not think we will be returning to this section of the tower any time soon." He turned to Sergeant Garcia and added, "We may as well --" 

"Doctor Zelenka? Come in, please," Doctor Kusanagi called over the radio. 

Radek glanced up at Thompson as he tapped his earpiece. "Yes, go ahead, please," he said. 

"Sergeant," Thompson said to Garcia and motioned for Garcia to wait. 

"We found something," Kusanagi said.

"What sort of something?" Radek asked. 

"It is," she paused, and Radek heard muted voices over the radio. "I really think you need to see it for yourself." 

Radek pursed his lips. "All right, we will be there shortly. Zelenka out." 

"Doc?" Thompson asked as Radek turned back toward the atrium and the transporter. 

"Doctor Kusanagi's team found something she thinks I need to see," Radek explained as he checked the map on the tablet computer. "They are several floors above us." 

"Change of plans," Thompson said to Garcia. "Freddo, we're heading up to meet Baker's team. The scientists up there think they have something." 

"Hope it's better than what we've got down here," Garcia muttered and headed out the door. 

Radek saw Thompson's smile and couldn't disagree with Garcia's assessment. 

They headed back to the transporter and Radek tapped the section of the map assigned to Kusanagi's team. The transporter opened on a wide hallway with a bank of windows overlooking the ocean far below. 

Doctor DeCampo stood near the windows, pacing back and forth. "Doctor Kusanagi is down this way," she said as she led the way down the hall.

"What is so special about this room?" Radek asked as he followed her. 

"It's …" DeCampo rounded the corner of the hall where two wide doors stood open. "Well, see for yourself," she said and stepped into the room. 

"It's beautiful," Radek whispered as he stopped just inside the door. 

There was no obvious source for the lighting in the room, no fixtures in the ceiling or along the walls, but a warm glow lit the room, reminding Radek of afternoons spent exploring the botanical gardens near Cambridge. The walls of the room were textured stone as opposed to the metal and glass in other areas of the city and were a light tan in color. Ancient text, painted in a darker brown covered the wall to the left of the door. Narrow stained glass windows ran along the top of the wall abutting the ceiling, tinting the walls and the floor in a rainbow of colors as sunlight filtered through the glass. A line of narrow compartments, each separated from the next by what looked like an etched glass partition, stood against the wall opposite the door.

It was what stood in the middle of the room that captured Radek's attention. The clustered-together consoles were smaller than the ones in the control room. Instead of the panels set out in rows, the consoles surrounded a tall column that resembled many of the city's stained glass windows and reached nearly to the ceiling. 

"What could it be for?" Radek asked more to himself than the gaggle of scientists and Marines standing nearby. 

"No idea," DeCampo replied. "That's why Doctor Kusanagi thought you would want to see it." 

"Not only me," Radek said as he walked around the consoles and the pillar. "Rodney is definitely going to want to know about this."


	2. Chapter 2

Rodney walked into his lab, dropped his pack on the desk chair, and pulled the computer out of the backpack. So much for field tests, he grumbled to himself as he walked over to the work table. 

Sheppard's complaints about getting dragged into Rodney's research project aside, he knew John had been just as eager to fly the dart as Rodney had wanted to study what it could do. He thought back to his comment that morning to Zelenka that the data dump was only the tip of the iceberg of what they could learn, and sighed.

"Now it's all we're going to get," he muttered as he plugged the hard drive with the dart's computer data into the laptop and sat down in front of the computer. 

A fishing expedition through the data dump wasn't as exciting as studying the dart itself, but he hoped it wouldn't be a complete waste of time. 

Even though John had destroyed the hive ship the dart had belonged to, there might still be a few useful nuggets of information they could use, he told himself. Communications codes, maybe information on the location of other hives. 

Rodney felt a shudder up his spine at the memory of standing on the bridge of the _Daedalus_ , watching the two hive ships blow up, and feeling powerless to do anything about it. After the hives were gone, he'd spent hours thinking John and the others were dead only to find out once he was back in the city that they had managed to escape. Well, Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla had escaped. There had been no word on Ford since their return, and while none of them said as much, after two weeks, they all assumed he'd been killed. 

Rodney sat back from the computer and pulled the challenge coin Sheppard had given him out of his trouser pocket. He flipped the coin over in his hand, remembering the conversation on the pier and John explaining why he was giving the coin to Rodney. 

_"A flip of a coin and I found something I didn't even know I wanted anymore,"_ John had told him. _"That's why I'm giving you the coin, Rodney. Coming here … it was the best decision I ever made. It's thanks to that coin that I have a family again."_

In the weeks since, Rodney had taken to carrying the coin around in his trouser pocket. He would never admit it to Sheppard or anyone else, but the coin was a piece of tangible proof he had succeeded in earning back John's trust and faith. He hadn't lost John's friendship the way he'd blown his relationship with Jeannie. 

Would he ever manage to find that sense of trust with Jeannie? he wondered. She had refused the one attempt he'd made to apologise. Even as he debated whether or not to try contacting her again the next time he was on Earth, a corner of his mind wondered what Sheppard had done with the video he had made before the siege. 

Did he still have it? Rodney wondered as he rubbed his thumb over the embossed eagle in flight. 

John had never mentioned watching the video even after Rodney had given his blessing. He had hoped John would hear how Rodney considered him family and it would help with the wall that had existed between them after Doranda. Maybe he'd been too subtle, he decided, and John never cared to see what Rodney had said to Jeannie. 

Rodney shook his head and tucked the coin back in his pocket. "Doesn't really matter," he muttered and shoved the memories away. His relationship with John was better now, and that was all that really mattered. 

He focused on the computer and tapped a few keys. "What have you got to show me?" he asked the machine as he skimmed through the files. 

If nothing else, digging through dart data files over the last few months had improved his understanding of the Wraith language. He could at least figure out things like what sort of information he was looking at even if he still couldn't understand the details. 

It didn't take him very long to realise that unlike the information they had recovered from the dart on Thenora, this time it appeared most of the data was intact. Rodney could tell after a quick skim of the files that they potentially had a wealth of material they could use. He found the schematics for the dart's operational systems in one of the files and smiled to himself. It was no replacement for live testing, but as consolation prizes went, Rodney would take it. 

He heard excited chatter coming from the hall outside the lab a few hours later and looked up from his notes with a frown. "Now what?" he grumbled with a glare at the open door as the noise continued. 

He tried to focus on the detailed weapons schematic in front of him but gave up when the conversation in the hall only became louder as the speakers came closer to the lab. Rodney stood from the table, intent on giving the gaggle outside a piece of his mind when he heard what they were saying. 

"It could be a new power source," someone said. "That pillar looked a lot like a ZPM." 

Pillar? Rodney thought. What had he missed? 

He had a hand near his earpiece ready to page Zelenka when he saw Radek walk past the lab followed by DeCampo and Mattings.

"A power source may be one possibility," Radek said to DeCampo, "but that would not explain the compartments." 

Power source? Compartments? Rodney wondered. What the hell did they find?

"Zelenka!" Rodney called. "Care to fill me in?" 

Radek gave him a startled look. "Rodney, you are back already? I thought you were going to be gone for several days." 

"Yes, well, the Wraith changed those plans for us," Rodney replied. 

"Oh?" 

"We ran into a bunch of drones, and the dart is gone," Rodney told him shortly. "That's not important right now. What's this about a pillar that looks like a Zed-PM?" 

Mattings glanced at Zelenka, then shoved a video camera into Radek's hand and disappeared with DeCampo. Radek watched them walk away, then shook his head as he stepped into the lab.

"What's up with Mattings?" Rodney asked as he walked back to the work table. 

"Matthews," Radek corrected and stopped at the end of the work table. "I think you scare him." 

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, glancing at the video camera on Radek's hand. "What did you find?" 

"Doctor Kusanagi's team found a strange room while we were surveying the new tower," Radek said as he stopped near the desk.

"Strange how?" 

Radek stepped closer to the work table and held out the video camera. "Here, see for yourself. The space is unlike any other area of the city we have found before." 

Rodney gave him a skeptical look as he took the camera. How strange could a room in a tower be? he wondered. 

He started the video and made a face when all he was was a line of beds. "There's nothing earth-shattering here," he said as the camera panned over more beds and then some sort of lab. 

Radek glanced at the screen upside down and shook his head. "It is near the end," he said. He took back the camera and fiddled with the controls for a moment. 

"This room," he said and handed back the camera. 

Rodney's expression changed from impatience to amazement as he watched the images on the tiny screen. He saw immediately why the consoles connected to the pillar were intriguing. Had they finally found where the Ancients manufactured Zed-PMs or maybe even harvested zero-point energy? he wondered. Dreams of a fully powered Atlantis danced in his head as the camera panned to the alcoves and then the Ancient writing on the wall. 

He tried to pause the video on the writing, but the screen was too small to read the text. That added to the possibility of creating fully charged Zed-PMs was enough to convince him he needed to see the room for himself. Now.

He pushed the camera back into Radek's hands, unplugged the hard drive with the Wraith data from the laptop, picked up the computer, and scooped up his pack from the chair in front of the desk. "Show me," he ordered. 

"What? Right now?" 

"You have something more important you need to be doing?" Rodney retorted as he stuffed the computer in the backpack. "Get whatever you think you need and meet me back here in five minutes." 

Zelenka muttered something under his breath that Rodney chose not to hear and left the lab. He returned a few minutes later with a pack over one shoulder. 

"Now, show me this room," Rodney said. 

"Shouldn't we --" 

"No," Rodney retorted and pushed Radek out of the lab. "You're wasting time. Let's go." 

He ignored the loud sigh from Zelenka as he led the way back to the transporter and waited as Radek tapped a section of the map for the tower the scientists had been exploring. 

Radek led the way down a wide hallway and around a corner where a Marine with red hair stood outside a pair of closed double doors. 

"Back already, Doc?" the woman said as she stepped out of the way. 

"So it would seem, Corporal," Radek replied with a smile. "We shouldn't be long." 

Rodney grunted at that and tapped the sensor for the door. If the room had anything to do with Zed-PMs or zero-point energy, he wouldn't be leaving the room for days. He walked into the room, dropped his pack next to the nearest console, and looked around. It took him all of ten seconds to decide whatever the Ancients had used the room for, it wasn't for producing Zed-PMs or anything else. He felt his interest wane as he gave the alcoves along the back wall a cursory glance then studied the panels in front of him. 

"Did you run any diagnostics?" he asked as Zelenka stopped next to him.

"No. You specifically ordered that we not activate any of the technology we discovered. Besides, we did not have equipment," Radek replied as he walked over to one of the glass-walled cubicles. 

Rodney pulled his laptop computer out of his pack, then ducked under the nearest station looking for the access port. He plugged the computer in, and once it had synched with the console, he typed in a string of commands. 

"All right, let's find out what you are," he muttered at the console as he touched it. The tiles on the console lit up as he mentally activated the panel and the stained-glass pillar began to glow. 

"Now we're getting somewhere," he muttered and went back to reading the information on the computer screen. 

"It is beautiful," Radek murmured.

Rodney looked over at Zelenka and saw him staring at the central pillar lighting the area around the consoles in warm reds and oranges. He had to admit the light effect added to the impression that the pillar resembled a Zed-PM. 

"Speaking of which," he muttered to himself and checked the usage data on the computer. He pursed his lips and looked back up at the pillar. "It's also drawing a lot of power," Rodney said, frowning at the pillar. 

Zelenka glanced at him. "How much power?" 

"Enough that we need to figure out what's going on," Rodney replied as he walked around the pillar activating the other stations. 

"If the system is already drawing significant power, is it wise to turn more of it on?" Radek asked. 

Rodney looked over at him with a glare. "If we want to know what it does, we need access to all of the control consoles." 

"Yes, yes, I suppose that is true." Radek shrugged off his pack and pulled out a laptop computer and a bundle of cables. 

Once he had the computer plugged into another of the activated consoles, he pressed a few tiles on his panel and read the data on the computer screen. 

"This panel does something to control environmental systems," Radek said as he ran a finger down the computer screen. "I am seeing information on airflow, pressure, and filtration." 

"Maybe this," Rodney waved a hand at the room at large, "is some sort of back up for the control room," he hypothesised as he plugged his computer into another of the stations. 

Zelenka moved to another console. "That is strange," he muttered, and Rodney heard typing from Radek's side of the pillar. "This station appears to be shunting power to the compartments for some reason." 

"What?" Rodney asked, not really paying attention as he typed a new series of commands into the computer. He looked up at the pillar still softly glowing, then around at the rest of the room. As far as he could tell, nothing in the room had changed once the consoles were active. 

So why is it taking so much power? he wondered.

"Oh," Zelenka muttered. "That is interesting." 

"What did you do?" Rodney asked, the accusation clear in his tone. "The power levels just jumped." He walked around the pillar, moved Radek out of the way, and studied the computer screen.

"I believe this console controls a series of systems attached to the compartments," Radek replied. 

"To do what exactly?" Rodney asked and glanced over at the alcoves lined along the wall opposite the double doors.

"I have no idea," Radek replied as Rodney walked over to one of the alcoves and peered inside. 

The back wall was the same stone finish as the rest of the room. There was a small vent near the floor and some sort of device embedded in the ceiling above each cubicle. Rodney tapped one of the transparent sides of the alcove with his knuckle and shook his head. 

"Huh," he muttered to himself, but Zelenka must have heard him. 

"Something?" Radek asked. 

Rodney looked up from his study of the clear panels. "These walls aren't glass." He rapped his knuckles on one of the sidewalls again. "More like the composite used to make the control tiles. There's a weird pattern to these etchings. Sort of a cross between a circuit path and that." He pointed to the pillar in the middle of the room. 

Zelenka glanced at the alcove. "Perhaps it was merely an aesthetic choice?"

"Maybe," Rodney replied with a skeptical frown. 

Rodney stepped into the compartment and stood on tip-toe, trying to get a better look at the device a meter above his head. He was still staring up at the device when he heard Radek mutter something right before he was nearly blinded when the device activated and a blue light shone down on him. 

"What did you do?" Rodney demanded as he ducked his head and covered his eyes. 

"Rodney? Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" Rodney retorted. He stumbled out of the alcove and tried to glare at Zelenka through watering eyes. "What did you do?" 

Radek held his hands up and shook his head. "Nothing! I was only checking the power usage data on the computer screen." 

Rodney rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times. He glanced back at the alcove and saw the blue light had shut off again. "Don't touch anything," he ordered, and turned back toward the alcove. 

"That may not be the best idea," Zelenka warned. 

"We're here to figure out what the Ancients used this room for, aren't we?" Rodney asked with an impatient glare at Radek. 

"Yes, I suppose, but --" 

"Then we need to figure out what that light is for and how to turn it off," Rodney told him and stepped into the alcove again. 

This time he was ready when the blue light came on, and Rodney made sure he kept his eyes averted. What was the point of blinding anyone who stepped inside the alcove? he wondered. And what were the compartments used for, anyway? Was it a new type of medical scanner? Or was it some sort of engineering lab for the transporters? he wondered with a wary glance at the light. 

Rodney shook his head as he ran his hands over the back wall, looking for some way to shut the blinding light off. He was surprised when he discovered that while the wall might look like stone, it felt smooth. He did his best to ignore the light as he squinted at the wall, and had a flash memory of an Ancient tower in the middle of a jungle that looked like stone, but felt like metal when he touched it. 

Why go to the effort here, though? he asked himself as he ran his hand over the wall again. There was no need to conceal the true nature of the structure. Maybe this wasn't any sort of lab, after all, he realised with another glance up at the light. He finished examining the odd, stone-looking wall. He didn't find any hidden switches, and his mental commands to shut down the alcove had no effect. 

"I'm not finding anything that controls the light in here," Rodney said. "Try shutting it down from one of the consoles." 

"Yes, yes, all right," Zelenka replied. 

Rodney turned around inside the alcove and watched as Radek entered something on the computer, then pressed a series of tiles on one of the control consoles. Nothing inside the alcove changed, and Zelenka muttered what Rodney suspected was a series of curse words in Czech before Radek shook his head and went back to the computer.

"The system is not responding," Radek reported. He looked over at Rodney with a frown. "I even tried shutting down the power to the compartment. The system refused the command string." 

"Great," Rodney muttered. He turned to examine the clear sidewalls and heard Radek typing again.

"Well?" Rodney called as he ran his hands over the wall to his right.

Radek looked up. "Nothing is working," he reported. 

Rodney finished with the right-hand wall and growled under his breath. He hadn't found anything to turn off the light either, and he was not looking forward to having to explain to Elizabeth that he had drained the Zed-PM while investigating some sort of Ancient cubicle farm. 

He was about to give up on finding the solution inside the alcove when his hand brushed over a raised section of the wall on his left. He felt something in the wall recede and was still staring at the wall when a third clear panel slid across the front of the alcove, trapping him inside the alcove. 

"Zelenka!" Rodney yelled and pounded on the panel in front of him. 

Zelenka looked up from the console in stunned surprise and hurried over to the compartment. 

Rodney felt the panic rising in his chest at the realisation he was stuck inside a tiny cubicle. He tried pushing against the panel while Zelenka matched his movement on the other side. Nothing they did had any effect, however. The panel was still sealed and Rodney was still trapped. 

Radek stepped back, raised his hands, and shook his head. Rodney slapped the panel with his hand and watched as Zelenka raised a finger, said something Rodney couldn't hear, and ran back to the central consoles. Zelenka typed something on his computer, shook his head, and hurried over to Rodney's laptop plugged into another of the stations. 

"Turn it off!" Rodney shouted. He tried mentally ordering the panel to open, but that didn't work any more than whatever Zelenka was trying to do with the consoles. 

Radek looked over at him, shook his head, then went back to the first console and pressed a different series of tiles. 

Rodney may not have been able to hear Zelenka, but he clearly heard a hiss inside the alcove. The blue light intensified and some sort of gas poured out of the vent near his feet. 

"Radek!" Rodney yelled.

Radek was either ignoring him or couldn't hear him as he pressed a series of tiles on the console, then frowned when he read something on the computer screen. He looked up, and Rodney saw the fear in his expression as Radek shook his head. 

The gas was all around him now, and Rodney tried to cover his nose and mouth with his jacket sleeve. The problem was it was getting harder to move, not to mention breathe, and he felt a jolt in his stomach when he realised he could no longer feel his arms or legs. A corner of his mind wondered how he was still standing even as his arms dropped to his sides, but his curiosity faded as his eyes drifted shut. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Radek watched in horror as Rodney stopped moving inside the compartment. "Rodney?" he called as he walked over to the sealed box and pressed his hand against the panel in front of him. Gas swirled inside the compartment, and the blue light inside the box made Rodney appear cold and lifeless.

He hurried back to the consoles in the middle of the room and rechecked the computers. The power was holding steady, but he could not find a way to shut down the system. 

"So what is it doing to him?" Radek murmured and glanced at McKay's rigid body. 

He plugged one of the computers into the console he thought managed the environmental systems and watched as two different graphs tracked something inside the alcove. Oxygen levels? he wondered. Was Rodney even breathing? 

"Doc?" Corporal Daley asked from the doorway. "Everything all right in here?" Daley walked into the room and stopped, staring at Rodney inside the alcove. 

"No," Radek replied as he typed another command into the computer. "Everything is not all right." 

"What can I do to help?" 

Radek ignored her as he tried yet another string of code to force the system to shut down. "Práce, ty hloupý stroj!" he muttered to himself as the computer spat out another error message. 

"Doctor Zelenka?" Daley said. 

Radek threw up his hands and stepped back from the console. He walked back over to the compartment and studied the transparent panel. There was nothing obvious on the panel that would allow him to open it, and Radek pursed his lips then glanced over at Daley. 

"Corporal, go to the computer, tell me if any of the readings change." Radek pointed to the console nearest the door. 

Daley nodded and walked over to the computer plugged into the first console. Radek waited until she looked up at him, then carefully ran his hands over the edges of the panel. He did his best to ignore Rodney's frozen expression on the other side of the clear material as he ran his fingers gently over the surface. 

"Anything?" he asked as he reached the bottom of the panel.

"No, sir," Daley replied. "Nothing changed." 

Radek frowned. "Maybe it needs someone with the gene," he said to himself. He stepped back from the compartment and tapped his earpiece. "Doctor Weir? Please come in." 

"This is Weir."

"Rodney and I are over in the new tower and …" He hesitated. "Something has happened." 

"What sort of something?" Elizabeth asked. "I thought you were done with the survey for today." 

"We were," Radek replied. "But Rodney heard several of the scientists talking about one of the rooms we found and he wanted to see it for himself." 

"And something went wrong." 

Radek winced at her exasperated tone and continued, "We were running diagnostics on the consoles in the room when Rodney noticed the power for a system controlling a series of compartments increased. When he went to check the system, something inside the compartment activated and Rodney became trapped inside." He glanced at Rodney and added, "I think we need Doctor Beckett." 

"Is Rodney alive?" Elizabeth asked and the exasperation changed to concern.

"I-I am not certain. We had only begun to run the diagnostics when this happened." 

"All right, I'll alert Carson and Colonel Sheppard." 

"Thank you," Radek replied. "Sergeant Thompson and his team were here with us earlier this afternoon. He should be able to tell Colonel Sheppard and Doctor Beckett where we are." 

"Understood. Do what you can," Elizabeth said. "Weir out." 

Radek glanced at Daley standing next to the console. "Doctor Beckett will be here soon. Meanwhile, I will see about finding something in these systems that can tell us what is happening to Doctor McKay." 

Daley nodded. "I'll meet Doctor Beckett at the transporter," she offered.

Radek nodded absently and walked back to the console. He felt a hand on his arm and looked up. 

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Daley said and tipped her chin toward the compartment.

Radek gave her a crooked smile. "I hope so."

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~ 

John watched as Teyla circled him, each carefully sizing up the other. He saw the moment she started her attack and blocked the strikes to his knee and chest before launching his counterattack. She stopped the strike to her legs, but John managed to catch her in the ribs with one of his sticks. 

"All right?" he asked as he stepped back. 

Teyla nodded and twirled one of the sticks in her hand. "You are much improved, Colonel," she said with a smile. 

John grinned back. "I've had a good teacher." 

"Hmm," she said and immediately attacked again. This time instead of aiming for John's knees, she rushed him with several blows to his upper body and arms. 

John managed to block most of the flurry of hits and thought he had her in a position to press his own attack when she spun around, and John felt an arm wrap around his chest just before Teyla flipped him over her outstretched leg. 

He landed on the mat with a thump and spent a few seconds trying to catch his breath. "I don't remember that move," he said with a wheeze as he climbed to his feet. 

"It is something Ronon showed me," Teyla replied with a smile and walked over to the bench against the wall. 

"That would explain it," John said and took the bottle of water she held out to him. He took a long drink, capped the bottle, and added, "You seem better after a few weeks on the mainland. More relaxed." 

Teyla swallowed some of her water and nodded. "I have enjoyed my time in the village. I was able to reconnect with many of my people." 

"How's Halling doing?" 

"He still has pain when he breathes, and I believe his leg hurts him more than he will admit, but I think the forced inactivity is the worst part of this for him. He is used to walking the fields or leading hunting parties into the forest." 

John nodded. "I can understand that feeling." 

"I am sure," Teyla replied with a laugh. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" John asked with a mock frown. 

"According to Doctor Beckett, you and Rodney are two of his worst patients when it comes to giving yourselves the necessary time to heal." 

"That might be true for McKay," John replied as he set down the water bottle. "I just heal faster." 

"Hmm," Teyla said, and John caught the smile on her face as she turned away and picked up her small exercise bag. "Thank you for the workout, Colonel. I will see you later for dinner?" 

John nodded. "I'll drag Rodney out of his lab, and we'll meet you and Ronon in the mess hall in a few hours." She was near the door when John said, " And, Teyla?" He waited for her to turn around. "Glad you're back." 

She smiled and nodded, then left the room. 

John picked up his sticks in one hand and his workout bag with the other and followed Teyla out of the exercise room. Since their mission to Ymber was a bust, it meant he had time to deal with the paperwork that had accumulated on his desk the last few days. 

"Given the choice, I think I'd prefer a fight with the Wraith," John muttered to himself as he walked back to his quarters. 

He showered, put on a clean uniform, and walked down to his office. As he sat behind the desk and stared at the various folders and piles of paper, he realised Lorne had already done most of the heavy lifting. The base duty roster was done for the next two weeks, as were the updates to the personnel files and the rotation of 'gate teams. All that John needed to do was review the supply requests and sign off on the transfers for those returning to Earth. 

John spent the next hour reading exit reports and signing off on requests. He looked up at the open office door when he heard a tap of knuckles on metal. "Thompson," John greeted and waved Thompson into the room. "How did the tower survey go?" 

"Not much to report, sir," Thompson replied. He stood in front of John's desk with his hands clasped behind his back. "The rooms we found didn't look like much. Doctor Kusanagi's team found something interesting, but Doctor Zelenka said they would need to send a team back to figure out exactly what the Ancients used the room for. I left Daley over there a couple of hours ago to watch the place. Garcia is heading over there now to relieve her." 

John nodded. "It sounds like --" he started to say but was interrupted by the radio. 

"Weir to Sheppard." 

John held up a hand and tapped his earpiece. "Go ahead." 

"Colonel, we have a situation in the new tower Doctor Zelenka and his team were investigating earlier today." 

John frowned and glanced at Thompson. "What sort of situation?" 

"It appears a device of some sort was activated in one of the rooms." 

John felt his heart speed up at the news. He knew what Elizabeth was going to say next even as he glanced at Thompson and stood up from his desk.

"John, Rodney is trapped. Radek isn't sure what the device is doing to him, and he can't get it to shut off." 

"Damn it," John muttered to himself. He rounded his desk and headed for the door waving at Thompson to follow him.

"I've already alerted Carson. He's getting a medical team organised," Elizabeth continued. "According to Radek, Sergeant Thompson's team was with them when the scientists discovered the room this afternoon. I can call --" 

"I've got Thompson with me now," John interrupted. He glanced at Thompson, who had turned away from him and was speaking to someone over his radio. "I'll radio Teyla and Ronon, and we will meet Beckett outside the transporter near the infirmary." 

"Understood. Weir out." 

John tapped his earpiece again. "Teyla? Ronon? Come in." 

"Colonel?" Teyla replied. "Is everything all right?" 

John stepped into the transporter at the end of the hall and tapped the section of the map for the infirmary. "No. McKay is trapped in some sort of Ancient device in that new tower the science teams were exploring today." 

"Is he alive?" Ronon asked. 

John paused and glanced at Thompson standing beside him. He hadn't felt any pain spikes through the link. If Rodney were dead or even seriously hurt, he would know it. The fact the link wasn't reacting gave him hope that whatever mess Rodney had found himself in, it wasn't as serious as Elizabeth made it sound. 

"I'm going to say yes," John replied, and hoped Ronon and Teyla understood his unspoken message. "Meet me at the infirmary. We'll get Beckett and head over there together." He didn't wait for either of them to reply and tapped off the radio. 

"I talked to Daley," Thompson said as they stepped out of the transporter a few seconds later. "She says Doctor McKay is stuck inside some sort of alcove and she thinks he's unconscious. Doctor Zelenka is still trying to find out more information from the consoles in the room." 

John felt his stomach clench. If Rodney were unconscious, that would explain why the link wasn't reacting, he realised. He pushed down the worry, making sure none of the concern he felt was visible in his expression and nodded his thanks to Thompson for the report. He led the way into the infirmary and found Beckett struggling to get the large medical pack over his shoulder one-handed. 

"I can come with you if you need assistance," Sharon offered as he wrestled with the pack. 

"I'll be fine," Carson replied shortly. 

John and Sharon exchanged a glance before she walked back over to her desk. 

"Want me to take that, Doc?" Thompson asked as he stepped forward. 

John watched as Carson struggled for a few more seconds, then with a frustrated sigh, admitted defeat.

"If you would be so kind," Carson replied. He handed over the pack and winced as he adjusted the sling supporting his other arm. 

John remembered visiting Beckett in the infirmary after his rescue from the sinkhole and shook his head. He knew from experience how much a dislocated shoulder could ache even weeks later.

"You sure you want to come with us?" John asked. "Couldn't Doctor Cor--" 

"I'll be fine, thank you," Beckett replied. He gave John a steely glance and John took the hint. "Did Elizabeth give you any more information as to what happened to Rodney?" 

John shook his head. "Just that --" 

"Colonel Sheppard," Teyla said as she walked into the infirmary with Ronon. "Has there been any more news?" 

"Only that Daley thinks McKay is unconscious," John replied and motioned them back out the door and up the hall to the transporter. 

"They're this way, sir," Daley said when the transporter door opened a few seconds later in an unfamiliar atrium. 

"What can you tell me about Doctor McKay's condition?" Beckett asked as Daley led the way down the hall and around a corner. 

"Not much," she replied. "Doctor Zelenka says all of the Ancient systems are stable. He just can't get the alcove door to open." 

John followed Daley into the room and stopped short when he saw Rodney standing inside one of the cubicles with his eyes closed. The blue light illuminating the alcove made it look like McKay was dead, and John felt another jolt in his stomach. 

"John," Teyla whispered, and John felt her hand on his arm. 

"Doctor Zelenka? Talk to me," John said. He shook off the comforting hand and stepped closer to Rodney's alcove. 

"I still do not know much," Zelenka admitted. "There is some sort of gas circulating inside the compartment and I believe the blue light is some sort of energy field, holding him in place." 

"So he's alive," John said. 

"I believe so," Radek replied. "But I have not found any sort of medical diagnostics." 

Beckett walked across the room and stood next to John. "It could be some sort of stasis chamber like the one we found the other Elizabeth in last year."

"Maybe," John replied as he looked around the rest of the room. "This doesn't look like the same sort of room, though. The stasis chamber was in an abandoned lab. This …" He waved a hand at the stone walls and shook his head. "This isn't a lab." 

"So, what is this room? Some sort of prison?" Ronon asked. 

"I do not believe so," Teyla said as she paced around the perimeter of the room. 

John turned in time to see her walk across the room and touch the writing on the wall. "What are you thinking?" 

Teyla turned in place as she studied the rest of the room. "Look around the room. The lighting is low. The walls are not of the harsh metal and glass seen in most of the city. This is a calm, peaceful space." 

"Not from where I'm standing," John retorted. 

"You're thinking this was some sort of Ancient meditation room?" Carson asked. 

"Possibly," Teyla replied. "I would think even the Ancestors would want places where they could retreat to reflect." 

"If that were true, why confine someone inside one of these tiny boxes?" Carson slapped his hand on the transparent panel trapping Rodney inside the alcove. 

"That I do not know --" Teyla said, only to be interrupted. 

"Oh, oh my," Radek said from where he stood near the consoles. "Something has changed." 

"What sort of something?" John asked. 

Zelenka ignored him as he read something on the computer screen. 

"Radek," John ground out. "What's going on?" 

"It must have been Doctor's Beckett's ATA gene," Radek murmured as he ran a finger down the computer screen. "I suspected something like that might be the case." 

John felt his patience running thin. Rodney was trapped, possibly dying, and the one person John needed to be working the problem was talking in riddles. "Spit it out," he growled. 

Zelenka glanced at him, and his entire demeanor changed. He stood up straight and focused on John instead of the computer. "Yes, yes. Sorry." He took a deep breath. "When Rodney and I arrived, Rodney was able to access the control panels," Radek motioned to the active consoles, "thanks to his ATA gene. I suspect he touched something inside the alcove that triggered the panel to close, trapping him inside." 

"Okay," John drawled. "That's how most of the systems around here work." 

"Yes, yes," Radek said and pushed up his glasses, "but I think Doctor Beckett activated other systems when he touched the panel in front of Rodney's compartment. I am getting new data now," he explained and pointed to the computer. 

"There is something here as well," Carson added. 

John turned and saw the panel was no longer a clear window into the alcove, several screens of data now covered most of the surface in front of Rodney's chest. "What is all of that?" he asked as he walked back to Beckett's side. 

"I believe," Carson said as he bent forward and squinted at the screens. "I believe this is recording Rodney's vital signs." He pointed to a screen covering Rodney's right side. 

John studied the panel. The information on the screen did look similar to what he was used to seeing on the monitors whenever Rodney ended up in the infirmary. 

"Heart rate, body temperature," Carson said as he pointed to different parts of the screen. "This appears to be respiration and O2 levels," he added as he pointed to one corner of the screen.

"So he's breathing," John said, and felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders. 

Carson glanced at him and nodded. "He is, though his respirations are slow as if he were asleep." 

"That must be due to the gas," Zelenka muttered as he studied the computer. 

"What sort of gas?" Ronon asked, and John saw Radek swallow hard as he looked up from the console. 

"I do not know for certain," Radek replied. 

John studied the space around Rodney, trying to ignore McKay's slack face, and spotted a few wisps of the gas Zelenka mentioned. 

"When the compartment sealed," Radek continued, "the gas filled the chamber. Rodney stopped moving soon after that." 

John turned back to Beckett. "Carson?" 

Beckett stared at the screens on the panel. "There are no indications he is in distress," he said and glanced at John. "I think Radek is correct. The gas has merely rendered him unconscious." 

Ronon growled and unholstered his particle weapon. "I say we just shoot it," he said. 

"We cannot," Radek said and looked over at John. "We may destroy the very thing that is keeping him alive." 

"I agree," Carson said. "Even if we were able to force him out of the alcove, we don't know what else the machine is doing to him." 

"All the more reason to get him out of it," Ronon said. He spun the pistol in his hand, and John saw him flick the power setting from low to high. 

Carson stepped in front of Ronon and held up his free hand. "That may work to free him from the alcove, but it might also leave him in a permanent coma." Carson shook his head and went back to studying the screens of data on the panel. "No, I'm afraid the only thing we can do is figure out how this machine works and free Rodney that way." 

Ronon glanced from the alcove to Carson, then holstered his weapon. "Hope you're right, Doc." 

"So do I," John heard Carson mutter under his breath as he went back to studying the panel. 

John walked over to Zelenka. "You said you were getting new information now?" 

Radek looked up from the computer. "Yes." He pointed to the screen. "I am picking up some sort of frequency modulation that wasn't there before. Doctor Beckett may have activated more than just a bio scanner when he touched the panel." 

"Great," John replied. "What else can go wrong." 

"Colonel," Carson called, and John pinched the bridge of his nose. 

I had to ask, he said to himself as he turned back to the alcove. 

"Something is happening. I saw Rodney's body twitch, and his vital signs are increasing." 

"Perhaps he is waking up," Teyla suggested. 

John watched the line that he assumed was the heart monitor increase its up-and-down motion. "Carson?" 

"I don't know, lad," Carson replied in a low voice. He glanced at Thompson and Daley standing near the door. "Is the link telling you anything?" he asked in a near-whisper. 

John shook his head and frowned when the heart monitor spiked again. 

"Hmm, that's interesting," Carson said. He pointed to a different screen. "Do you see this? If I didn't know better, I'd guess that was an EEG." John gave him a blank look. "It's a way of measuring brain wave patterns," Carson explained. "And this," he pointed to one of the wavy lines, "looks like theta waves." 

"Meaning?" Ronon asked. 

"Meaning," Carson said and looked from John, to Ronon, to Teyla, "I think he's dreaming." 

"So not waking up," John said as he looked at Rodney's slack face through the panel. 

"No," Carson replied. 

"Weir to Sheppard," John heard over the radio. 

"Sheppard," he replied. 

"John, is there any news regarding Rodney's condition?" 

John glanced from Radek poring over the computers to Carson studying the panel in front of Rodney. "Not really. Carson thinks he's in some sort of sleep state. Teyla thinks it might have something to do with some kind of Ancient meditation technique." 

"But you don't agree with that?" 

John pursed his lips. "I'm not sure what to believe at the moment." 

"I've just sent the weekly status update through to Stargate Command, and I'm heading over there." 

John nodded, even though Elizabeth couldn't see him. "I'll have Thompson waiting at the transporter to show you where we are." He nodded at Thompson, who left the room. 

"I'll be there momentarily. Weir out." 

John tapped his earpiece and turned back to the alcoves. He walked over to the one next to Rodney and studied the interior. "Zelenka? Are these alcoves all connected to each other?" 

"Colonel? What are you thinking?" Teyla asked. 

He tilted his head at the empty alcove and gave Teyla a steady glance. 

She hissed in a breath. "Are you certain?" 

"It may be the only way," John replied. 

"Only way to do what, Colonel?" Carson asked. 

"You said it yourself, Carson. We risk killing him if we try to forcibly remove Rodney from that box." John glanced at McKay's face, washed out and pale, thanks to the blue light over his head. "You thought he was dreaming, right?" 

Carson glanced at the screens on the panel in front of Rodney. "Yes, I think so." 

"Okay, maybe that's what this machine does. It creates some sort of dream state." 

"Why?" Ronon asked.

John shrugged. "Who knows. The important thing is if these," he waved a hand at the line of alcoves, "boxes are connected, I might be able to talk to McKay in this altered dream world." 

"It may be possible," Radek chimed in. "The compartments are all connected to this central system. It may be that that is the intended purpose for so many of these … cubicles to be here together. Perhaps, it was meant for more than one person to use at a time."

"All I needed to hear," John said and stepped into the alcove next to Rodney. "If we can't bring Rodney to us, maybe I can go to him." 

A blue light shone down on him once he was inside the cubicle. He studied the clear side panels and found a small switch on his left-hand side near the front edge. "I think I found what trapped McKay," he reported, and hovered a finger over the switch.

"If you are going to try to follow Rodney into this machine, we are coming with you," Teyla said and stepped toward the alcove next to John. 

"If you need the gene to activate the device, that won't work," John said. While he appreciated the offer, he didn't want to risk the rest of his team on what might turn out to be a fool's errand. 

"Won't know until we try," Ronon said. He stepped inside the alcove on Rodney's other side, and John was surprised when the blue light inside his alcove glowed to life. 

Teyla stepped into the alcove next to John, and he wasn't sure if he was pleased or frustrated when that light came on as well. 

"You're certain you want to do this?" Carson asked as he glanced from John to Teyla and then over at Ronon. 

"We are sure," Teyla replied. 

"It will work," John said to Beckett. 

"You don't know that, Colonel." 

"Do you have any better ideas?" John asked. He watched as Beckett's face fell and he shook his head. "It will work," he said again and flicked the switch with a finger.


	3. Chapter 3

The clear panel closed in front of his face, cutting off the noise of Zelenka typing. John watched as Elizabeth entered the room and hurried over to his alcove. She said something he couldn't hear, but he saw the worry, not to mention a hint of fear, in her expression as she pressed her hand against the transparent wall between them. 

Gas flowed out from the vent near his feet and filled his chamber, and John couldn't help the jolt of panic in his stomach. The errant thought crossed his mind that maybe Rodney's fear of enclosed spaces wasn't so wrong after all, but the impression faded as he lost feeling in his extremities and his eyes closed. 

John opened his eyes a moment later, only to raise a hand and squint in the blinding glare of the sun beating down on desert sand. He felt sweat running down his back as the heat hit him and ducked as a low-flying chopper passed overhead. 

"What the hell?" he muttered as he lowered his hand and looked around. 

The series of long tents and Quonset huts marked the area as military. At the same time, the expanse of gritty sand and the scrub brush on the hills in the near-distance told him he was in Afghanistan. He looked down at himself and saw desert fatigues instead of his usual black Atlantis uniform. A glance at his collar and he found the double bars marking his rank as a captain. 

Something was wrong, he realised. There was no reason for Rodney to dream about Afghanistan. The Ancient machine must not do what he and Zelenka thought it did. Which meant he had a problem. 

"Good job, John," he chastised himself as he surveyed the military base. "Instead of solving the problem, you went and made things worse." 

John watched as men and a few women moved around the camp going about their duties, none of them giving him a second look as they walked past him. 

"Sergeant, I need to talk to your CO," John said to a man walking by him in full kit. 

The man ignored him and kept walking. 

"Hey!" John shouted after the man. 

Two more soldiers came toward him, and John tried again. "Where's the --" he started to say, but again, the two men walked on, apparently oblivious to his presence. 

"What the hell is going on?" John demanded as he spun around in a circle. 

Since the people on the base were giving him the cold shoulder, John ignored them in favor of figuring out for himself where he was. He walked through the rows of Quonset huts studying the layout of the buildings. It didn't take him long to recognise the open field behind the operations tent that his team used as a makeshift football field. 

He spotted a few other landmarks and wasn't surprised when he saw the lean-to near the motor pool where Dawson and Peters had stashed a goat. The animal had been an illicit gift from a grateful Afghan village after the team had helped rescue several children from a suspected minefield. The team had kept the animal a secret for almost a week before Colonel Palmer discovered it and ordered them to return it to the village.

"Okay, you're 30 miles outside Kandahar," he said. "The question now is why." John wandered over to the empty field and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the hills behind the base. 

"Hey, Cap," a voice said from behind him, and John spun around. He wasn't sure which surprised him more, the fact someone in this dream, vision, whatever this was, actually spoke to him, or who the speaker was. 

"Vance?" John said and stared at the young man in front of him. "How?" 

"How am I here after you got me killed, sir?" Scott Vance asked. 

The words hit John like a punch to the gut. "That's not --" 

"That's not what? What happened?" Vance asked, and his usually pleasant expression was transformed into a scowl.

John remembered seeing that same look on Alex Vance's face right before threatening to kill … He turned away and stared at the empty field, rubbing the thin scar on his forehead. 

The whole situation from the time Naseer had been kidnapped to the explosion that had killed Vance had felt wrong. Naseer shouldn't have been in that village in the first place. Then their so-called informant who gave them the intel on where to find him had practically reeked of deceit. But John had had little choice but to take the risk. Not only was Naseer an important asset, but John had also felt responsible for him. Naseer had risked his life more than once to bring the unit critical intel. They had owed it to him to try and rescue him. 

"You knew that intel was bad," Vance pressed. "You knew we were walking into a trap, but you led us into it anyway." 

"We couldn't just leave Naseer," John tried to explain. "We had to try and save him."

"In case you've forgotten, sir," Vance sneered the honorific, "Naseer was already dead when we found him. You got me killed for nothing." 

John ducked his head at the accusation. He had replayed that mission over in his head dozens of times, looking for a way to save both Naseer and Vance. He had concluded long ago there had been nothing he could have done for Naseer. He could only wonder what the young man had done that tipped off the insurgent groups operating in the area at the time. 

Vance, though, was a different matter. Had he overlooked something on their approach? John had asked himself more than once over the years. 

He realised now he should have known the car parked in front of the building they planned to breach was a potential bottleneck. Should he have attempted to diffuse the bomb? Maybe he could have spread his team out more so they weren't clumped together in the house. Ritchie might have ferreted out the snipers before the rest of them were pinned down inside the building if he had.

John squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and said, "I don't --" 

He stopped talking and blinked several times. The blinding desert sun was gone, and his eyes took several seconds to adjust to the dimmer light of … What? he asked as he turned in a slow circle. He felt his breathing hitch when he realised he was no longer in the Afghan desert, but instead, he stood inside a ship. A Wraith ship. 

"Colonel Sheppard. What a surprise." 

"Ford?" John said as he spun around. The desert was gone. Vance was gone, and looking down at himself, John saw he was dressed in his usual black uniform. Ford stood in front of him wearing the same hodge-podge of clothes as when John had last seen him, his arms crossed over his chest, and a scowl on his face. 

John stepped back and pressed a hand against the nearest wall. The wall felt real enough as it gave slightly under the weight of his hand. There was also the odor of decay in the air, and he could swear he heard Wraith voices in the distance. 

First Vance and now Ford. What was going on? John wondered as he pushed against the membrane of the wall. There was something, something important, he was supposed to be doing, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.

There had been a machine of some kind, hadn't there? John glanced at Ford, then down the nearest corridor. "How did I get here?" he asked the universe in general.

The whiplash feeling of going from the heat of the desert to the cold confines of a Wraith hive ship, never mind the feeling he was forgetting something important, left him more than a little off-balance. He shook his head and dropped his hand as the tickle of concern at the back of his mind faded. 

"Does it matter, sir?" Ford asked, and John looked back in time to see the poorly concealed sneer on Ford's lips. "You're just going to leave me here to die. Again." 

John winced at the bitterness in Ford's tone. He had no defence against Ford's accusation. In this case, he was entirely at fault, and he knew it. He had been more concerned with freeing Ronon and Teyla from their cells than about where Ford was or how he would escape the hive ship. 

"Did you even think to wait a few seconds for me before you scooped up the others and left?" Ford asked, stepping into John's personal space with his hands clenched into fists.

"We didn't know where you were," John tried to explain, but the excuse sounded feeble even to his own ears. 

Ford snorted and stepped back. "Right. Don't go back for me. Don't try to find me. Just take your new team and leave. Leave me behind to die." 

"That's not --" 

"No one left behind, isn't that right, sir? Unless, of course, it's Ford," Ford continued. "You wouldn't have gone off and left McKay here by himself, would you, sir?" 

There was that dig at his rank again, John thought even as McKay's name jogged something in his subconscious. He tried to pin down the feeling of dread, but before he could figure out what he was forgetting, Ford continued with his rant. 

"You would have torn this place apart if he was the one missing. But not me. Why is that?" 

John felt a stab in his gut at the question. He knew Ford was right. There was no way he would have left Rodney alone in a hive ship to fend for himself, so why had he done that very thing to Ford? 

In the weeks since their return from the hive ship, John had spent more than one sleepless night wondering what he could have done differently that would have allowed him to save Ford as well as Teyla and Ronon. No matter what cheery statements he made to the others, John knew there was no way Ford could have escaped the hive ship before it blew up, he had barely made it through the space 'gate himself. Ford's death was squarely on his shoulders. He had failed as a team leader, as a friend, to do everything possible to save one of his men. 

"Well at least you copped to that one," a new voice said. "Unlike when you left me behind." 

John squeezed his eyes shut. "Holland?" he said. 

He opened his eyes and found he was sitting in a courtroom. Not only was he in a courtroom, but he was also sitting in the witness chair. Ford sat in the high seat of the military judge while Scott Vance sat at the side for trial counsel with Holland standing next to him. 

John glanced at the defence table and saw it was empty. "A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client," John muttered under his breath as Holland stepped in front of the witness box. 

"Nothing to say, Major?" Holland asked. 

John thought back to those hellish two days in the desert, spotting Holland's crashed chopper just before he was shot down himself. Half-carrying Holland as they dodged insurgent patrols, trying to get to the exfil, ending up lost when they were spotted and had to make a run for it. 

"You needed a medical evac," John said. "We were lost. I went to find help." 

"You left me in a cave to die, Major," Holland argued. "You left me, just like you left them." Holland pointed at Ford and Vance. "It's time you answered for that." 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Teyla felt the warm breeze on her bare arms and opened her eyes. She was on the mainland, she realised when she saw the nearly ripe fields of grain and tava beans on the other side of the village, not to mention the sinkhole near the edge of the forest. 

"Why would Rodney dream he was on the mainland?" Teyla asked herself as she walked across the empty field where the expedition parked the jumpers. "Rodney! Are you here?" she called and looked around the first group of tents. "Colonel Sheppard? Ronon?" 

"Teyla?" Olette replied and hurried from a large tent set off by itself. "You came! I was afraid you would not make it in time." 

"In time for what?" Teyla asked. "I am looking for Doctor McKay. Have you seen him?" 

Olette shook her head. "There is no time. You need to come with me." Olette took Teyla's hand and pulled her toward the isolated tent near the forest. "I have tried every remedy I know. Nothing has helped." 

"Olette, I do not understand. What is going on?" 

Olette turned and stared. "Halling, Jinto, Charin, Iranda, and several others, they are all gravely ill," she replied with a frown. "Is that not why you returned to the village?" 

"I came looking for Doctor McKay." 

Olette shook her head. "Why would he be here? You know we have not had dealings with the Earth people for months." 

"What?" Teyla exclaimed and stopped walking. 

Olette clasped her hands in front of herself. "I know you are still trying to convince Halling and the other members of the Council they can trust … them," she said and refused to meet Teyla's eye. "But many of our people are convinced we should assert our independence. Some are even suggesting we find a new planet. One where we have autonomous access to a portal." 

Teyla started to argue, to remind Olette of all of the help the expedition team had offered the Athosians, but she found she couldn't remember what she wanted to say. She glanced at the sinkhole and tried to think. 

She had been in a room, hadn't she? she wondered as she glanced back at the empty field. She had a vague memory of a warm, peaceful space. There was something else about the room. Someone was trapped and in need of assistance … 

"None of that is important now," Olette said, breaking Teyla's train of thought. She led the way toward the isolated tent and added, "You are here now, and that is the important thing." 

Olette walked into the large tent, and Teyla couldn't stop the gasp of shock as she stared around the interior. Ten low beds lined the tent on two sides. A narrow space between the ends of the beds allowed Isla and a few others to move from bed to bed as they tended to the sick. Jinto and Tyren sat up in their beds, looking wan and ill. Teyla noticed everyone else in the tent was an adult, and all of them were asleep. 

Or worse, Teyla thought to herself, her expression grim as she walked down the length of the tent.

She found Halling lying next to Jinto, his eyes were closed, and more concerning, he seemed to be barely breathing. 

"The first symptoms were fatigue and headache," Olette said as Teyla crouched next to Halling's bed. "At first, we thought it was nothing more than a bout of harvest fever, but then the rash formed and the breathing issues started." 

Teyla glanced down at Halling's arms and saw several red splotches dotting his skin. She glanced over at Jinto and saw his arms and face marked with the rash. 

"Father will be all right, won't he?" Jinto asked. 

Teyla glanced from Jinto to Olette, who pursed her lips. "I am certain he will recover," Teyla said to Jinto. "Your father is a very strong man." 

She heard Olette hiss out a breath but ignored her as she stood from Halling's bed. 

"Telus and Rada died," Olette said in a sad whisper as they paced down the row of beds. "I fear Charin and a few of the others will as well." 

"You said you had tried all of the usual remedies?" Teyla asked as she stopped next to Charin's bed. 

"Yes. Some helped a little. Wex and Tero were the first to recover. Jinto and Tyren seem to be getting better, too. But as for the others …" Olette shook her head. "I am not certain there is much more I can do for them." 

Teyla held Charin's hand in a loose grip. "Charin? Can you hear me?" she called in a low voice. 

Teyla ducked her head as she listened to Charin's labored breathing. "I will contact Doctor Beckett," she said and looked up at Olette. "There may be something he can do to help." 

"Halling will not be pleased," Olette warned her. "His is one of the loudest voices saying we should cut all ties to the city." 

Teyla stood and reached for her earpiece. "If Doctor Beckett can help, at least he and the others will be alive to be angry with me. Surely that is more important right now." 

"I am not sure he will agree," Olette whispered as Teyla stepped over to the tent flap and tapped her earpiece. 

"This is Teyla calling Atlantis Base," Teyla said over the radio as she stepped outside. 

"Teyla? Where have you been?" Doctor Weir asked. "We've been trying to reach you for more than an hour." 

Teyla looked around in surprise. She was standing in the gateroom, a squad of Marines stood near the active 'gate watching her. She felt a weight in her hands and looking down, found she was holding a P-90 and was now wearing a uniform jacket and tac-vest instead of the Athosian shirt and leggings she had been wearing on the mainland. 

"Doctor Weir?" Teyla said as she turned in a slow circle. 

"Major Lorne and his team are waiting for you," Weir continued. "They ran into some trouble on Ymber." 

"Ymber?" Teyla asked. "Why were they on Ymber?" 

Weir frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "When we agreed you would spend most of your time on the mainland, it was with the expectation that you would remain up-to-date with your team's mission status." 

"I do not understand," Teyla replied. Olette's comments about the expedition were still fresh in her mind as she watched the Marines walking into the event horizon. "I was led to believe --" 

"We'll discuss it once you get back," Weir said. "Right now, you need to go. Major Lorne is waiting." 

Teyla shook her head and followed the last of the Marines through the stargate. She exited into the clearing on Ymber and ducked as a blast from a Wraith weapon flew over her head.

"Get down!" Lorne called from where he knelt next to the DHD. 

Teyla ducked into what cover the stargate offered and returned fire. She heard gunfire from either side of her and watched as Lorne stood and fired on a Wraith drone coming toward him. It didn't take long for the shooting to stop, and Teyla glanced out at the field surrounding the 'gate and the DHD. Several Wraith drones lay on the ground, and one of the Marines walked from body to body, firing three shots into each body, making sure they stayed down. 

"Sergeant, stay with the wounded," Lorne ordered the man crouched next to him. "The rest of you, come with me."

Lorne waited for Teyla to fall into beside him and said, "You're going to need to tell me where they were working. All I know is they moved the dart for safekeeping." 

Teyla gave him a confused look. 

"Your team," Lorne said. "Where did they move the dart?" 

"I do not know," Teyla replied. "I have not been on Ymber for many years." 

Lorne frowned and shook his head. "Are you sure this living on the mainland plan is working?" he asked. "You seem, I don't know, kind of out of touch these days." 

Teyla looked away. She hadn't been in the village when her people became ill. She hadn't been in the city when her team ran into trouble. Maybe Lorne was correct, she thought to herself. She had doubted for some time whether or not she could find a balance where living in two worlds could work. After a moment, she shook her head and nodded to her right. 

"I remember a clearing in this direction," she said and led the way down a narrow animal track. "It is possible they left the dart there." 

She entered the clearing ahead of Lorne and the Marines twenty minutes later. There was no dart, but there was evidence of a firefight. There were several splintered trees and a discarded P-90 in the grass on the far edge of the clearing. Teyla knelt next to the weapon and hissed in a breath when she saw blood in the grass. She pressed her fingers into the ground and noted the blood was still tacky to the touch. 

"That's not good," Lorne said from where he stood behind Teyla.

"No," Teyla agreed. She wiped her hand in the grass to remove the blood and stood. "However, they are no longer here. It is possible, even with one of them wounded, they were able to escape." 

"I hope you're right," Lorne said. He gave her a disapproving glance then turned to the group of Marines. "Fan out," he ordered. "It looks like at least one of them is injured. We need to find them fast." 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~ 

Smoke. Blood. Death. The smell was overwhelming, and Ronon knew what he would see before he even opened his eyes. He saw the images in his nightmares on a regular basis. Sateda and those last days and hours as he fought for his home and his people. 

He heard shouting nearby; some of the voices were giving orders, others were crying out for help as they lay bleeding in the streets. There was a whiny buzz overhead, and Ronon instinctively ducked into the nearest doorway. He watched as the squadron of Wraith darts passed over, their culling beams active. The light from the beams cut through the street, silencing the pleas for help, leaving the streets bare. 

Ronon waited, making sure the area was clear before he ventured out of the doorway and looked around. The buildings near him were in various states of destruction. A few were still standing with only minor damage, most, however, were little more than piles of rubble. 

He looked down at himself and frowned when he only saw his hand weapon in its holster. He needed a particle rifle if he intended to do anything about the darts. A Wraith drone charged him from the next doorway, striking Ronon's body armour with a glancing blow from its staff weapon even as Ronon drew and fired on the drone. 

Ronon checked the fitted armour over his chest and nodded when he found it was still intact. He walked over to the drone, shot it point-blank, and turned as the shouting drew closer. 

"Regroup!" someone yelled. "Fall back and regroup!" 

Ronon turned and saw Tyre running toward him from the other end of the street, waving his arm at those following him. Ronon stepped toward the group of soldiers but hesitated when an image flitted across his mind. He was standing in a room with several other people. It was somewhere where there wasn't death and destruction all around him. He looked up and down the street in front of him. Those other people had been trying to do something … find … someone. 

A fresh blast of weapons fire from a dart hit the building next to him, and Ronon forgot everything else as he ducked back into the questionable safety of the doorway. He tried shooting down the dart, but his pistol was no use against the dart's armour. 

"Ronon!" Tyre shouted as Ronon glared as the dart disappeared in the distance. "Thank the Ancestors! We thought you were dead. Come on! We've been ordered to protect the last of the civilian convoys." 

Ronon nodded and joined the group of twenty or so men and women racing down the street toward the landing site for the transports. He had told Kell more than once they needed to evacuate the civilians from the city, but Kell had repeatedly told him there was no need. They would be able to hold the fortifications, forcing the Wraith to realise Sateda wasn't worth the losses and leave the planet before the city was in any danger. 

Ronon heard the whine of darts behind them and ducked into a nearby alley. He checked the charge for his particle weapon and watched as Tyre directed anyone who could move toward the other side of the city. 

Melena, Ronon thought. Was she still at the hospital? He had begged her more than once to leave the planet before it was too late. But she hadn't listened to him. If he was staying, so was she, she had told him more than once. She wouldn't abandon their people any more than he would. Ronon grimaced. He needed to get to the hospital. He needed to get Melena off Sateda before it was too late. He waited until the street was empty, then crossed the rubble-filled road and ran down another alley. 

Five minutes later, he stopped in the middle of a different street and stared at the level of destruction around him. The buildings on either side of the hospital were little more than piles of concrete and glass. The hospital was still standing, but only just. Most of the upper levels were completely gone while what was left had sustained serious damage.

Ronon threw caution to the wind and ran into what was left of the building.

"Melena!" he shouted as he passed empty rooms on either side of the hallway. "Melena!" 

He saw shadows of people passing back-and-forth down an adjoining corridor at the end of the hall and ran toward them. 

"Have you seen --" he started to ask, but the woman in a nursing uniform walked by him without a second glance. 

"I'm looking for --" He tried again, this time to one of the doctors, but that woman ignored him as well. 

Ronon growled under his breath. He ran down the hall and found a door to the stairwell. He knew Melena's ward was on the third floor and he ran up the steps two at a time. He opened the door to the new floor and was shocked when he found the hallways cluttered with patients, some lying in beds, others sitting on the floor, staring vacant-eyed into the distance. 

"Melena!" Ronon yelled as he jogged down the hall, checking rooms until he found her in one of the smaller wards. 

"You need to leave," he said as he stepped into the room. 

"I can't," Melena replied. "I can't leave these people." She pointed at a young girl lying in a nearby bed. "Her parents are dead. She has no one." 

Ronon glanced from Melena to the child. If it will get her to leave, he said to himself as he scooped up the girl. "We need to go," he said as he adjusted his hold on the child. 

Melena stared at the people in the other beds, shaking her head. 

"Melena, please," Ronon said and took a step toward the door. "There's nothing else either of us can do."

Melena looked up at him and started to say something when the wall behind her blew out. Ronon had one last look at Melena's terrified expression before he twisted his back to the blast, protecting the child as best he could. When he turned back to where Melena had been standing, all he saw was smoke and rubble. 

"Pity," Kell said. "She was a good woman." 

Ronon turned to face the man standing a few feet away from him. The man who had used Ronon's entire squadron as protection while he ran for the safety of the portal. The fact that he no longer cradled the girl in his arms or that Kell shouldn't even be standing in front of him never crossed his mind. He was finally going to have his revenge for what Kell had done, to his squad, to Melena, and to all the others who had died because of his cowardice. 

"This was your fault," Ronon said in a growl. "You convinced her and how many others they would be safe. Told them there was no need to leave the city. You lied to her. To us." 

Kell raised his hands. "You can't blame me, Ronon. It's not my fault you and your fellow soldiers fell short in defending the city." 

Ronon saw red at that comment and charged Kell, tackling him just below the waist and sending both of them over the destroyed edge of the building. 

Ronon landed on his hands and knees and looked around in surprise. Kell was gone. The city was gone. Instead, he found himself kneeling before a Wraith commander. Unlike most of the command-level Wraith Ronon had seen in the past, this one was mostly bald with a thin topknot gathered into a narrow braid trailing down one side of his head. 

"You continue to defy us," the commander said. 

Ronon looked up at it with a glare. "I will kill all of you for what you did to my people," he replied, and groaned when a drone standing behind him pulled his head back by his hair and held a knife to his throat. 

Ronon bared his teeth at the commander. 

"We'll see about that," the commander said and waved at the room behind him. 

The drone behind him pulled Ronon to his feet by his hair, keeping its other arm around Ronon's throat, and shoved him into the room. Ronon saw the Wraith scientist standing next to a long narrow table with a knife in its hand and tried to buck out of the grip the drone had on his throat. 

The commander laughed low in his throat and nodded to the drone. "One way or another you will submit," the commander said in a soft hiss as the drone shoved Ronon onto the table front first. 

Ronon clenched his fists as he felt the cold blade slice into his back. He tried not to scream, he didn't want to give the Wraith commander the satisfaction, but as the procedure continued, Ronon couldn't stop the howls of pain and he squeezed his eyes shut. 

He opened them a moment later when he smelt damp earth and felt mud squelch beneath his boots. He heard screams in the near distance and ran through the trees, following the sound. The forest ended in a wide clearing with a river on one side. A village sat on the opposite side of the river with the houses backed against the woods. 

Several houses were burning, and Ronon saw the villagers running into the trees. Some of them were carrying small children, others had what meager possessions they could drag with them. A group of men pushed the women and older children into what little protection the forest offered as they formed a defensive line, clearly intending to hold off the drones long enough for the others to escape. The problem was, the men had only farm tools and a few hunting bows to defend themselves against the Wraith stun weapons. 

Ronon felt at his side and unholstered the particle weapon. He had no idea where he was, but the villagers deserved a chance at survival, something his people had been denied. It also gave him a chance to kill Wraith. In his mind, everyone was a winner. He felt his heart pounding as he gave his anger free reign, bared his teeth, yelled a challenge at the nearest Wraith drones, and started shooting.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

The last thing he remembered was the clear panel trapping him inside an alcove as gas filled the compartment. Rodney had felt his heart racing, knowing he was trapped, and he was sure the fear was written clearly in his expression as he hit the panel with his fist. He had always known nothing good could come from staying in tiny spaces. It was his last thought before everything around him faded away. 

Rodney listened, barely breathing as he strained his ears for any hint of sound, but he no longer heard the sibilant whisper of the gas. Of course, he didn't hear anything else, either, and frowned. Where was Zelenka? Or that female Marine who had been watching the door? He was stuck inside an Ancient torture device, wasn't anyone trying to get him out of it? 

He raised a fist to pound on the panel and was startled enough to open his eyes when his hand only found air. 

He expected to find himself still trapped within the alcove with Zelenka furiously working at one of the consoles to free him from the compartment. Instead, he stood on the control room balcony overlooking the gateroom. 

Alone. 

No strange Ancient device. No Zelenka. In the split second it took for him to process that, he also realised there were no Marines guarding the 'gate and no Chuck monitoring the city's systems. Rodney glanced at Elizabeth's glassed-in office and found it empty as well. 

"Not good," he muttered. The memory of the alcove and the Ancient machine quickly faded as he focused on the more immediate problem. He hurried over to the main control console and checked the various city systems. "Power is stable. No issues with the environmental systems," he said as he ran down the list of vital systems. 

It wasn't until he checked the city's shield that he found he couldn't access either the shield or the city's cloaking systems. "That can't be right," he muttered with a frown. "How are both offline at the same time?" 

Rodney reran the diagnostics only to get the same result. "That's not possible," he growled at the computer. He sat down at the console and began typing furiously on the computer. 

The control systems were completely separate for the shield and the cloak. A fault in one would not disable the other. He had done that on purpose when he built the cloaking system to ensure they had access to either the shield or the cloak depending on the level of the threat. 

Rodney hit the enter key one last time and read the lines of data scrolling across the screen. "No, no, no, no," he muttered. "Both systems have fail-safes. They should be working." 

An alarm sounded from another station, pulling Rodney's attention away from the shield systems. 

"Now what?" Rodney grumbled as he walked over to the panel. He took one look at the scanner and felt the blood drain from his face. Four hive ships were closing on the planet. 

"Really not good," he said. He went back to the controls for the shield. He tried several different commands to re-engage the shield, but nothing worked. 

"Think," he ordered himself. "There must be something you can do to fix this." He checked the information on the computer again and felt his frustration rising. 

According to the computer, there was no power getting to the emitters. Rodney read through the computer code again and didn't find any obvious software issues, which meant the problem was with either the Zed-PM, the generator for the shield, or the emitters themselves. 

"Maybe this was why everyone left. There was no way to save the city, so Elizabeth evacuated everyone." Rodney glanced over at the empty office. "Still doesn't explain why you're still here," he reminded himself. 

Rodney took one more look at the long-range scanner, ran a few quick calculations in his head, and made his decision. "Better part of valor," he muttered and started dialling the 'gate for the alpha site. He'd find Sheppard and Weir, give them the bad news that he'd been unable to save the city, and see if either of them had a good reason for leaving him behind. 

Or at least he tried to dial the alpha site. When he punched in the first glyph for the address, the DHD remained dark. 

"No, no, no. This is not happening," Rodney growled as he pressed the glyph again. The DHD remained stubbornly inert.

Rodney pulled off the access panel and stared in stunned disbelief when he found the control crystals were all missing. Sabotage? he wondered. It was the only thing he could think of that would explain why the shield and cloak were down and why the DHD crystals were missing. 

He couldn't leave, and with four hive ships heading his way, it was suicide to stay. "And why am I here alone?" he shouted at the ceiling. He stood with one arm wrapped around his middle, and his free hand pressed against his forehead. 

"If the shield is offline and the DHD is down, how did everyone else escape?" he asked the room at large. He glanced around, hoping for inspiration and snapped his fingers several times as the light dawned. 

"Jumper," he said. "Why didn't I think of that sooner?" 

He ran for the stairs that led up to the jumper bay. "You can use the DHD inside the jumper to dial the 'gate. Get to the alpha site and find out what Sheppard's plan is for avoiding the Wraith." He waved his hand over the sensor for the jumper bay door with a lighter heart now that he had found a solution. 

The door opened, and Rodney ran into the jumper bay. 

An empty jumper bay. 

"Oh, come on!" he yelled as he turned in a circle, surveying the empty room. 

A tiny voice at the back of his head told him this was all impossible. There was no reason for the city's defences to be down, the DHD crystals to be missing, and now all of the jumpers to be gone. Unfortunately, his rising panic drowned out the logic. All he knew at the moment was that there was no way to leave Atlantis. Everyone else was already gone, he'd been left behind for some reason, and there were hordes of Wraith on the way. 

He felt his heart pounding in his chest and forced himself to calm down. He was Rodney McKay, damn it, the smartest man in two galaxies. He was not going to die in obscurity in an abandoned city, he told himself. He had too many important discoveries still to make, a Nobel Prize to win. 

"Figure something out," he told himself, and walked back to the control room. 

If the Wraith didn't know Atlantis had survived the siege, all he needed to do was turn on the cloak and wait for the hive ships to leave. 

"Of course, if they do know Atlantis is still here, the cloak isn't going to stop them from destroying the city from orbit," he argued. 

Fix the cloak or the shield? he pondered. He scooted the chair over to the other console, rechecked the sensor data, and swallowed. He wouldn't have time to fix both, he realised. The Wraith would reach the city in a matter of a few hours. He rubbed his forehead, weighing the pros and cons, and blew out a breath. 

Keeping the continued existence of Atlantis a secret was paramount, he told himself. It wouldn't do any good to raise the shield, one Zed-PM wasn't going to hold off the Wraith for long. 

"All right, cloak it is," he said. 

He downloaded the information he needed for the cloaking systems to the laptop computer, unplugged the computer from the console, and headed for the generator room. He hoped the issue was with the cloaking generator itself and not one of the emitters. If he had to walk all over the city checking emitter arrays … Rodney shuddered at the thought, not the least because he knew he'd never have enough time to check all ten emitters before the hive ships arrived. 

"Figures, the one time I could use Zelenka, he's nowhere to be found," he muttered. 

He left the control room, still working out in his head how best to fix the generator, and stopped short. There was no hallway. There was no city. For some reason, he found himself in the middle of a clearing surrounded by trees. 

And Genii. 

"What the --" Rodney started to say and turned around, intending to head back to the control room.

"Doctor McKay. How nice to see you again." 

"Kolya?" Rodney said. He felt the blood drain from his face as he spun around and faced the Genii commander. "Where am I? How did I get here?" 

Kolya nodded to one of the Genii soldiers who grabbed Rodney by the arm. "I seem to recall telling you once that you would serve the Genii, Doctor. It took longer than I anticipated, but better late than never. Welcome to the Genii homeworld." 

Rodney shook off the hold on his arm and glared at Kolya, even as he felt his heart speed up and his palms start to sweat. "You won't get away with this. Sheppard --" 

Kolya smiled, and Rodney took a step back. 

"Sheppard is dead. So is the rest of your team," Kolya told him. "There is no one coming for you, Doctor McKay. I suggest you accept that." 

Rodney felt his heart skip a beat at Kolya's news and forced himself not to react. Despite his best efforts, however, something must have shone in his expression as Kolya laughed. "I won't help you," Rodney said and clenched his hands into fists. "You can't force me to do anything." 

The smile on Kolya's face vanished, replaced with a glower. "Can't I?" he asked and rested his hand on the knife at his belt. 

"I'm-I'm not afraid of you," Rodney said and swallowed hard. The statement sounded feeble even to his own ears. 

The Genii soldiers laughed, and Kolya stepped back. "Take him to the bunker," he ordered. 

"You can't do this!" Rodney shouted even as the soldier beside him grabbed his arm again and pulled him toward the edge of the clearing. 

"I've already done it, Doctor," Kolya replied. "You will spend your remaining days ensuring the Genii are the dominant race in the galaxy." 

Rodney tried to pull out of the hold on his arm, but it was no use. The soldier on his right tightened his grip and nodded to another soldier who grasped his left arm, and together they dragged him from the clearing. 

This is wrong, Rodney told himself as he was pulled along. Sheppard. Ronon. Teyla. They couldn't be dead. Could they? 

He had no memory of how he had ended up on the Genii homeworld. No memory of Sheppard and the others dying. Was Kolya right? he wondered. Did that mean no one was going to rescue him from Kolya's clutches? 

They came out of the forest, and Rodney saw the quaint Genii village in the distance. He didn't have time for more than the barest glimpse before the soldiers pulled him in a different direction. They stopped a few minutes later, and one of the Genii soldiers stepped forward and spun the handle on the wide metal hatch sunk into the ground. 

"Take a good look, Doctor," Kolya said. "This is the last time you will ever see the sun or the sky again." 

Rodney stared back at Kolya even as he was shoved toward the hole in the ground. He stood at the head of the ladder until the soldier pushed him again. 

"You can climb down or be pushed, Doctor," Kolya said as Rodney continued to stall, hoping for a last-second miracle. "The choice is yours." 

Rodney glanced in the direction where he remembered the 'gate was on the planet, and when he didn't see anyone in Atlantis black heading toward him, he ducked his head and stepped onto the ladder. No one was coming for him this time, he realised as the hatch closed over his head with a resounding thud of finality a few seconds later. Even if Kolya was wrong and Sheppard was still alive, no one was ever going to find him now. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

"They're right down here, ma'am," Thompson said as Elizabeth followed him into the room. 

"It will work," she heard Sheppard say as she walked into the room. 

Elizabeth took in the device in the middle of the room, and the alcoves lined along the far wall with a glance as clear panels closed in front of Sheppard, Teyla, and Ronon.

"John, wait!" she called, and hurried over to his alcove, but it was too late. 

She pressed a hand to the transparent barrier and watched as gas filled the compartment. When Sheppard's eyes closed and his face went slack, she took a deep breath and turned to Carson. 

"What does John think he's doing?"

"We didn't have much choice, Elizabeth," Carson replied. "There is no way to release Rodney from that box from out here." 

Elizabeth watched as Carson tapped the panels in front of Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla and a series of screens appeared, then glanced over at Zelenka typing something on one of the computers attached to the group of consoles in the middle of the room. 

"So Colonel Sheppard decided to do what? Go in after him?" Elizabeth did nothing to hide her frustration with either Sheppard for his reckless plan, or with Carson for letting him try it. 

"Colonel Sheppard's theory is that the alcoves create a sort of dream state," Carson tried to explain. "He believes that once they are all inside, they will be able to communicate with Rodney, convincing him to wake up on his own." 

"There may have been a flaw in Colonel Sheppard's hypothesis, however," Radek said. He looked up from the computer, and Elizabeth saw the concerned expression on his face. 

"Radek?" Elizabeth asked. 

Zelenka held his hands out in front of him, gesturing as he spoke. "We had assumed all of the alcoves operated on the same frequency, meaning they would all be in the same dream, so to speak." 

"But that's not the case," Elizabeth said with a frown at the alcoves. 

"No," Radek replied. "As soon as the other compartments were activated, three more frequency signatures appeared." He pointed at the computer. "I believe they are in four different dreamscapes." 

Elizabeth glanced back at the four alcoves. "So they can't communicate with each other." 

Radek pushed up his glasses as he shook his head. "No, they cannot." He looked over at the alcoves with a frown. "And since it appears Colonel Sheppard's idea did not work, either, I am not sure how to free any of them from the machine."


	4. Chapter 4

She had been warned there would be days like this, Elizabeth thought to herself as she watched Radek type commands into the computer attached to one of the consoles around the central pillar. There were times when she thought negotiating with foreign governments and terrorist cells at near gunpoint was easier than dealing with one small expedition team and the problems caused by ten-thousand-year-old technology. 

She saw Radek shake his head and purse his lips as he read something on the computer, then glance at the alcoves. Zelenka muttered something under his breath and typed a new string into the laptop, nodding to himself this time. 

Elizabeth watched him work for a few seconds then turned to Carson checking the screens on Teyla's alcove. He made a few notes on the tablet computer balanced on the arm he had in a sling and moved from Teyla's compartment to John's. He made a few more notes then stopped in front of Rodney's compartment. She saw Carson frown as he read the screens on Rodney's alcove and the frown only deepened when he checked Ronon's. 

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked as she walked over to the line of alcoves. She felt her stomach flutter and wondered what else was going to go wrong today.

Carson glanced at her and shook his head. "It may be nothing," he tried to hedge, but the worried expression on his face told Elizabeth whatever he saw on the screens wasn't good. 

"Carson?" 

Beckett sighed and pointed to the screen. "Rodney's heart rate and blood pressure are increasing. So are Ronon's, though his numbers are not as high as Rodney's." 

"I thought you said they were asleep." 

"They are," Carson said and rechecked the screens on Rodney's alcove. "And based on what I'm seeing here, Rodney is having extremely vivid dreams." Carson looked over at her. "All of them are." 

Elizabeth nodded. "Is this increase dangerous?" 

"No, not yet," Carson replied with another glance at the screen. "But if his numbers don't level off, it could be." 

"What about Sheppard and Teyla?" 

Carson checked the alcoves next to Rodney. "Colonel Sheppard and Teyla seem stable enough, but their numbers are above normal for what I would expect from someone who is merely asleep." He turned to Elizabeth and added, "Maybe we were wrong, and these aren't merely dreams." 

Elizabeth glanced from one alcove to the next. "Nightmares?" 

Carson shrugged. "Possibly. Whatever they are experiencing, to them, it likely seems very, very real, and their bodies are reacting to that stimulus." 

Elizabeth looked down the line of alcoves. "Let me know if it gets any worse."

"I'll need to call Sharon and have her send some more people and equipment over here. If we get them out." Carson stopped and took a deep breath. "I mean, when we get them out, I suspect they will be none too healthy thanks to whatever this contraption is doing to them." 

"Get who you need," Elizabeth said. 

Carson gave the screens another glance, then tapped his earpiece. "Sharon, love. I think I'm going to need that help you offered after all."

Elizabeth tuned out the rest of Beckett's conversation and walked over to the consoles and the central pillar. "Radek? Any updates?" 

Zelenka looked up from the computer and shook his head. "Regarding the machine itself, no." He glanced back at the computer. "From what I can tell, the device is functioning properly and there are no critical alerts that I can see. I have started a search through the Ancient database. If I know what the Ancients used the machine for, it may help in finding a way to shut it down." 

Elizabeth gave him a tight-lipped smile and surveyed the rest of the room. "What about this text?" she asked and nodded to the writing on the wall. "Do you know what it says?" 

Radek glanced at the wall and shrugged. "If Rodney read it, he did not tell me what it said. I can send for Doctor Chaudhri to translate it if you like." 

"No need," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I've been working on translating a few Ancient texts in my spare time. I should be able to figure it out." 

She walked over to the wall and studied the blocky shapes. "There's something here about letting go of burdens," she said a few minutes later as she ran a hand over the text. 

She read the next section and froze. "Radek," she called and turned back to the consoles. "You can stop searching the database. I think I know what the machine was for."

"Elizabeth?" Radek asked. 

Elizabeth stepped back from the wall and turned around. "I believe this was some sort of aid to help the Ancients to ascend," she said. 

"Ascend?" Carson said. "How would this," he waved a hand at the alcoves, "help someone ascend?" 

Radek looked over at the alcoves, then back at the central pillar. "Teyla mentioned the room appeared serene, as if the Ancients used it as a sort of mental retreat." 

"I still don't see how --" Carson started to say. 

"You said the machine induced a dream-state, correct?" Elizabeth said as she walked back over to the alcoves and studied John's face. 

"From what I can see here," Carson pointed to one of the screens on the panel, "that appears to be what's happening, yes." 

Elizabeth paced along the row of alcoves studying the faces of her trapped people. 

"Elizabeth?" Carson asked. 

"What if Teyla was right," Elizabeth said as she turned to face Carson. "What if this machine helped someone achieve a deep meditative state that would then allow them to 'release their burdens'." She pointed at the writing on the wall. 

"If this machine forces someone to relive a trauma, possibly over and over again, that would certainly explain the elevated readings for Ronon and Rodney," Carson replied. 

"But how did the machine work for Teyla and Ronon?" Radek asked. "Neither of them has the ATA gene." 

Elizabeth walked back over to the wall and studied the writing. "I don't think that would matter," she said. "Someone doesn't need the ATA gene to ascend. Doctor Daniel Jackson ascended, even though he couldn't use any Ancient technology. As long as someone with the gene activated the machine, I imagine anyone would be able to use it." 

"And Rodney activated both the consoles and the alcoves when we arrived," Radek said with a nod. "That would make sense." 

"So the only way to escape from the machine is to ascend?" Carson asked with a frown as he stopped beside her.

"No, I don't think so," Elizabeth replied as she considered the text again. "I think this was only an aid, something to help the process along." 

Elizabeth glanced back at Radek, then said in a near-whisper to Carson, "The writing mentions that this is only one step along the path of The Way." She gave Carson a significant look. 

Carson stared at the text, wide-eyed. "It actually mentions The Way?" he asked in a loud hiss. "Are you certain?" 

Elizabeth glanced over at Radek watching them and squeezed Carson's arm. "Carson," she admonished. She waited until Zelenka went back to the computer, then added, "If I'm right, the only way they can escape the alcoves is to release whatever burdens they are carrying." 

"And how are they supposed to do that, exactly?" 

"I have no idea," Elizabeth replied with a sigh. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

John sat in the witness box as Holland, Vance, and Ford berated him, each explaining in detail how he had failed to save them. What they were saying was nothing new to him. He had played the deaths of Holland and Vance in his head hundreds of times over the years and had asked himself these very same questions. What could he have changed? What could he have done differently to save their lives? Where had he made the mistake that ended in the death of a friend? 

"And then Sheppard here was promoted after I died," Vance said and shook his head. "He gets me killed and the military brass reward him for it." 

John felt the stab of guilt at Vance's statement and ducked his head as he rubbed the scar on his forehead. It was true he had been promoted to major a few months after Vance's death, but he had tried to tell himself the one had nothing to do with the other. 

"He left me for dead in the ocean after the Wraith attacked Atlantis," Ford said. "Got promoted for that too." Ford glared down at John from the judge's bench. "I suppose now that you left me to get blown up on a Wraith hive ship, you'll make full bird. Sir." 

John looked up at Ford as the guilt hit him again. Ford's presumed death had only been a few weeks ago, but he had had more than one sleepless night as he replayed those last minutes on the hive ship over and over in his head. Had he been so focused on Ronon and Teyla that he had abandoned Ford? Could he have waited a little longer for Ford to find them in the hangar bay? 

_"You wouldn't have gone off and left McKay here by himself, would you, sir?"_

It was a question he had asked himself more than once in the weeks since their return. Had he cared more about Ronon and Teyla than Aiden? He couldn't deny he would never have left McKay trapped and alone, so why had he done that very thing to Ford? 

McKay. The name tickled a memory at the back of his head. Something about Rodney in trouble. He looked around the room and frowned as new memories flashed before his eyes. The dusty heat of Afghanistan. The cold confines of the Wraith ship. A warm stone room lined with alcoves. Rodney trapped inside one of the cubicles, and Zelenka telling him there was no way to rescue him. 

That was it, he realised. He had stepped into one of the alcoves in order to rescue McKay. So how did he end up in a courtroom surrounded by three examples of his past failures? 

John surveyed the room again. No stone walls. No alcoves. No McKay. "I'm not supposed to be here," he muttered to himself and looked at Holland. "How did I get here?" 

Holland stopped pacing. "You're here to answer your guilt for what happened to us," Holland replied. 

"That's not what I asked," John replied and felt his temper rising. "This courtroom is on Earth. I should be in Atlantis." 

Ford shook his head. "You must answer your guilt, Colonel. That's why you're here."

John stared up at Ford. Something wasn't tracking. Answer his guilt? What was that supposed to mean? he wondered. Whatever it was, he could deal with it later. He stood from the witness chair and tried to leave the box, but Holland stood in his way, blocking him as he tried to escape. 

"We haven't resolved your guilt yet," Holland told him and pushed him back into the chair. 

"I don't have time for this," John growled. "Rodney needs help." He heard Ford's snort of disdain behind him but ignored it. "I've had enough of this. I need to leave." 

"You can't leave, sir," Scott told him. "Not yet." 

John glared from Holland, to Vance, then up at Ford. "What do you want me to say? That your deaths were my fault? Yes, you all died because I screwed up. Is that what you want to hear?" 

"No, sir," Scott replied. "That's not what this is about. You need to answer your guilt." 

There was that odd turn of phrase again, John thought as he fumed in the witness chair. There was nothing to answer for. He had caused the deaths of the three men in front of him. He knew that he didn't need the reminder. What did they want him to say? That he was sorry? That he wished he could have done something differently? 

_"This is a calm, peaceful space,"_ Teyla's voice echoed in his head. _"I would think even the Ancestors would want places where they could retreat to reflect."_

A peaceful space, John considered as Holland, Vance, and Ford watched him. The room he'd been in with the alcoves wasn't a lab or a prison, or anything else threatening. John pushed down the image of Rodney stuck inside one of the alcoves and focused on what Teyla had been trying to tell him. 

A calm place to reflect, he thought as another memory surfaced. He was sitting in a cave as Yana told them the true reason for the mental link. Rodney standing beside him, berating himself for overlooking the obvious reason the Ancients had perfected the idea of the link. 

_"With everything you know about the Ancients, it should have been obvious. Nearly everything they did was focused on reaching a higher plane of existence."_

Ascension. Was that what this was all about? John wondered. He and Rodney had talked after their return from Lurra. They had agreed neither of them had any interest in ascending, at least not for the moment. So how could he use that information? A calm, peaceful space, Teyla had called it. 

Teyla had tried to teach him how to meditate once. She had told him it was a way to relieve stress and let go of matters outside of her control. John had lasted two sessions before he gave up. He simply wasn't a sitting still type. 

Answer your guilt. 

Vance. Holland. Ford. All three had told him the same thing. He needed to answer his guilt. Which meant what? He fumed as his impatience with the situation grew.

_Nearly everything they did was focused on reaching a higher plane of existence._

Answer your guilt. 

John looked at the expectant faces in front of him and considered Teyla's other point. Could that be it? he wondered. He needed to let go of the past? Answer his guilty feelings regarding the three men in front of him and let himself off the hook for what happened to them? 

John thought back to the village where Vance had died. The cave where Holland had died. The Wraith ship where he assumed Ford had died. What could he have done that would have changed the outcome of any of those events?

"Nothing," he muttered more to himself than the three men watching him. "There wasn't anything I could do," he said, his tone slightly awed as the realisation dawned on him. 

John let the feeling wash over him, then took a deep breath and turned to Vance. 

"I'm sorry, Scott," John said. "We had walked into any number of bad situations together, but that last time … We either stayed in that building, which would have guaranteed the deaths of everyone on the team, or we made a run for it and hoped for the best. Running was the only way we had any chance at all. Your death was terrible, but there was nothing else I could have done to prevent it." 

Scott Vance smiled and nodded. "Yep, I know that, sir. Now you do too." He took a step back and sketched a salute in John's direction with two fingers. "See you around, Cap," he said and vanished. 

John stared at the empty spot where Vance had stood before turning to Holland. 

"Lyle," John said. "You were shot down by insurgents. By the time I found you, you had already been out in the desert for a day and a half. We were stumbling around the desert, lost, dodging rebel factions, and all that time you were getting worse. I had to leave you in that cave to try and find help. I knew there was a chance it was already too late, but I had to do something. I never intended for you to die alone."

Holland stepped back from the witness box and gave John a cocky grin. "Still owe you that round of beer, Major. You know I'm good for it, right?" 

John nodded and smiled as he watched Holland slowly disappear as well. 

"Looks like you figured out what to do, sir," Ford said. 

John stood from the witness chair and turned toward the bench. "Yeah, I guess so." 

Ford stepped down from the judge's seat, and John noticed he no longer looked like he did the last time John saw him on the hive ship. Instead of the bits and bobs of clothing, Ford was wearing his uniform, and his hair was trimmed to Marine regs. The scars were gone from his face, and both of Ford's eyes looked normal. 

John met him near the defence table. "I never thought Rodney's life, or Ronon's, or Teyla's, was worth more than yours, you know." 

"Yes, sir. I know that," Ford replied with a nod. "Just wanted to make sure you knew it too." 

"I didn't want to leave you on that hive ship either," John added. "But the Wraith were closing in. I couldn't wait any longer. We had to leave."

"It was my choice to stay, sir," Ford told him. "I said I was going to watch your back, and I did that."

John swallowed the lump in his throat. He nodded and held out his hand. "Thank you, Lieutenant." 

Ford shook his hand. "You're welcome, sir." Ford let go of John's hand and stepped back. "Do me a favor, sir?" Ford added as he started to fade.

"Anything," John replied. 

"Tell Lisa I'll see her again someday." Ford gave him one last wave then vanished as well. 

John turned a slow circle. He wasn't sure about the whole ascension idea, but Teyla had been right, he did feel better about the choices he'd been forced to make with regard to Ford, Vance, and Holland. He felt lighter somehow and smiled to himself as the courtroom melted away. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Elizabeth stood with her back braced against the wall with the Ancient text and watched the organised chaos in the room. Thompson and Daly stood near the door, talking in low voices to each other. They had already helped bring over the additional medical supplies from the infirmary and now stood by waiting to see what else they could do to help. 

Carson and one of his medical techs stood on the other side of the room checking over the oxygen tanks and other medical equipment. Sharon stood near the sealed alcoves monitoring the screens on the clear front panels of each of the compartments. As far as Elizabeth could tell, nothing had changed with the four people trapped inside the cubicles in the hour since she had arrived. She hoped that was a good sign. 

Radek and a team of engineers huddled around the central pillar and consoles alternately consulting the various computers plugged into the panels and talking amongst themselves. Elizabeth felt a stab of pride as she watched them. She couldn't have asked for a better team of people than those in the room with her. There was no panic, no argument over how to go about solving the problem. Four of their own needed help and they were all going to do whatever was necessary to assist them. 

"You said the light came on first, yes? When Doctor McKay entered the compartment?" Doctor Tsao asked. 

"Yes, but he didn't touch anything," Radek replied as he scanned the information on another of the computer screens. "And I do not believe he was consciously thinking about powering up the machine, either. The light came on when he stepped into the compartment." 

Zelenka looked up from the computer, and Elizabeth watched as he glanced from the central pillar to the alcoves. 

"Doctor McKay has the ATA gene," Doctor Matthews said, apparently oblivious to Radek's change of mood. "Maybe he didn't need to physically touch anything inside the alcove." 

"That is true," Tsao added. "We know systems will respond to the gene without any conscious mental interaction." 

Radek shook his head and wandered over to one of the empty alcoves. "There must be more to it than that," Radek replied. "The same thing happened when Teyla and Ronon entered their alcoves, and they do not possess the gene." 

As Elizabeth watched, he ran his fingers over the etched pattern in the wall of the alcove then crossed his arms over his chest and glanced back and forth between the two transparent side walls, his lips pursed and his brow furrowed. 

"Could that be it?" Radek asked in a low voice a few moments later. "But why didn't Rodney notice it before?" 

"Radek?" Elizabeth asked as she walked over to him. "What are you thinking?" 

"Hmm?" Radek murmured and glanced over at her. "Oh," he said at a normal volume. "We are trying to figure out how the machine works," he explained with a wave at the group around the consoles. "We're confident now that the central stations," he pointed at the pillar, "provided the power and regulated the systems within these compartments." 

"Like sealing the chambers and dispersing the gas?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Yes, yes. Exactly. Now, if we can find a way to sever that connection, the alcoves may open automatically." 

"May?"

Zelenka shrugged. "It is theory only," he replied. "We know at least two different systems are involved for powering the compartments." 

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, you said John and the others had to trigger a switch after they were inside and before the alcoves sealed." 

Radek nodded. "So, in theory, we only need to shut down that second system." 

"And you think you know how to do that?" 

"No, unfortunately not," Radek replied. "We have yet to find all of the subroutines that are activated once one of the compartments seals. If we do something wrong, we could end up cutting off their oxygen supply or worse." 

Elizabeth glanced at the alcoves. "You said you had a theory?" 

"Hmm," Radek replied and pushed up his glasses. "I may have solved how the compartments initially activate. I will need to test my hypothesis to be certain."

Elizabeth studied Radek's face for a moment. "All right, what's your idea." 

Zelenka stepped closer to one of the empty alcoves. "Does this look familiar to you?" he asked as he pointed to the etched design in the sidewalls of the alcove. 

Elizabeth studied the design for a few seconds. "It looks similar to the designs in the tiles used for the consoles in the control room." 

"Precisely what I was thinking," Radek replied and stepped forward. "And Rodney believed the walls were made from the same composite materials as the tiles, as well. So, if I am correct …" 

Before Elizabeth realised what he intended to do, or try to stop him, Radek stepped into the alcove. 

"Radek!" 

"I believe the compartment is perfectly safe at this stage, Doctor Weir," Radek replied as a blue light shone down on him. "Doctor Tsao, what sort of readings is the computer registering for this compartment?" 

"According to this, you are at the first stage of powering up the alcove," Tsao replied, looking up from his laptop. 

"That is what I suspected," Radek said with a grim expression as he stepped out of the alcove.

"What's the problem?" Elizabeth asked and noted that the blue light clicked off a few seconds after Radek left the alcove.

"If I am correct, the walls do not merely look like control tiles. They are components of the device itself. Anyone standing inside one of the compartments acts as a conductor," Radek waved a hand in front of himself, "linking the two wall sections together." 

"So, what does that mean?"

"The person standing inside the compartment is completing the circuit, so to speak," Radek told her. "That's what is powering each compartment. Even if we were to find all of the subroutines there would be no way to shut them down. The system will continue to function as long as someone is standing between these two walls." He pointed to the etched panels.

"And we can't remove them while the alcove is active," Elizabeth finished. 

"No," Radek replied, his tone resigned, "we cannot. It is quite the failsafe," he added, his tone laced with amazement as he stared at the line of alcoves. 

Elizabeth was less impressed with the engineering prowess of the Ancients and more concerned with freeing her people. "If we can't --" she started to say, but was interrupted.

"Doctor Beckett," Sharon said and turned to Carson. "Something is happening with Colonel Sheppard." 

Carson hurried over to Sheppard's alcove and studied the screens.

"He's registering more alpha waves now," Sharon said, and Carson nodded. 

Radek hurried back to the consoles. "What readings are you getting?" he asked Tsao as Elizabeth walked over and stood on Beckett's other side. 

"Carson?" Elizabeth asked with a worried glance at Sheppard inside the alcove. It seemed to her as if there was less of the gas inside the compartment, and as she watched, she thought she saw John twitch.

"He may be waking up," Carson said to Elizabeth. 

A few seconds later, the screens on the panel vanished, and the panel disappeared back into the side of the alcove. 

"Grab him!" Carson exclaimed as John stumbled out of the alcove and fell against Carson, who did his best to support Sheppard's weight one-handed. 

Thompson hurried forward and helped Sharon ease John to the floor as Beckett stumbled back clasping his injured arm against his chest.

"Carson, are you all right?" Elizabeth asked. 

"I'll be fine," Carson replied with a pained smile. "He caught me by surprise." 

Elizabeth studied him for a moment longer then turned back to Sheppard slumped with his back pressed against the edge of the alcove and his chin resting on his chest.

Thompson stepped back, and Carson knelt beside John, his fingers on the pulse point at Sheppard's throat. "Steady pulse," Carson murmured as he awkwardly placed the ends of the stethoscope in his ears one-handed. "Lungs sound clear," he added a moment later. "Where's that oxygen?" he called with a glance over his shoulder.

"Here," Sharon replied, and handed Carson the clear mask. 

Elizabeth knelt on John's other side and helped Carson place the mask over Sheppard's nose and mouth. Beckett clipped a portable pulse oximeter to Sheppard's finger and grasped John's wrist in his free hand. 

"John?" she called softly as Beckett rechecked Sheppard's pulse. 

Sheppard raised his head and blinked a few times. Elizabeth noticed his eyes were glazed as he peered back at her, and she gave Beckett a worried glance. 

"Give him a few minutes," Carson said as he checked the oxygen meter. He turned to Sharon and added, "Once we get him to the infirmary, I want a chest x-ray and a full blood workup. I want to know what was in that gas." 

Sharon nodded and noted down the orders on the tablet computer in her hand. 

Elizabeth kept one hand on John's arm as Carson and Sharon discussed moving Sheppard to the infirmary. She felt John shift under her hand and frowned when he reached up and moved the oxygen mask out of the way. 

"Hey," she greeted. "How're you doing?" 

"The others?" John asked, his voice low and scratchy. 

Elizabeth gave him a tight smile. "Still inside the alcoves," she replied. She saw John's frown as he shifted around on the floor and tried to see into the next compartment. "Do you remember anything that happened while you were trapped?" 

Sheppard started to take a deep breath but ended up coughing instead. 

"You need to leave this be," Carson told John as the coughing fit passed. Beckett settled the oxygen mask back over John's nose and mouth. "Jason has gone for a gurney. We'll have you settled in the infirmary soon enough." 

John shook his head and tried to pull the mask off again. "I need to stay --"

Elizabeth could sympathise with John's desire to remain in the room while the rest of his team was still trapped by the Ancient machine, but she wasn't going to compromise Sheppard's health by letting him stay either. 

"No arguments, Colonel," Weir said. "There's nothing you can do for them at the moment, and you need to let Carson check you over. We don't know what else that machine may have done to you." 

She watched as Sheppard tried to glare at her over the top of the oxygen mask. She met his scowl with a stern look of her own and said, "You know I'm right."

John held his stare a moment longer then sighed and closed his eyes. 

Jason arrived with the gurney, and after John was settled, Elizabeth squeezed his hand and added, "If anything happens, I will radio Carson and let you know." 

Elizabeth saw the mask fog as John huffed out a breath, then he was wheeled out of the room with Carson walking beside him.

"All right, Doctor Zelenka," Elizabeth said, once Sheppard and Beckett were gone, "how does Colonel Sheppard escaping the alcove change what we know?" 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

John watched as a nurse finished drawing blood, then taped a cotton ball over the puncture near his elbow. "Doctor Beckett will stop by to check on you soon," she said with a smile as she picked up the tray of supplies and the vials of blood. "Try to get some rest."

John waited until she disappeared into the lab, then lay back in the bed and closed his eyes. He was loath to admit it, but his entire body ached, and he felt like he could sleep for a week. With the rest of his team still inside the machine, however, napping wasn't an option at the moment. 

Was it merely the result of the mental confrontation with Ford and the others? he wondered. Or had whatever was in that gas affected him somehow? More to the point, if he felt this tired now, what was that machine doing to the rest of his team? He had no idea how long he had been inside the alcove, but Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney were still trapped. What were the side effects of prolonged exposure to the gas? 

Carson had insisted on the monitoring equipment as well as an extensive battery of time-consuming tests once they were back in the infirmary. John could understand the concern, and he wanted to know what that machine had done to him as much as Carson and Elizabeth, but he also needed to get back to that room. He needed to help his team, though he had to admit he wasn't exactly sure how he could do that. 

John scrubbed a hand over his face, thankful the oxygen mask had been replaced with a nasal cannula and considered everything that had happened while he was inside the alcove. The only reason he had managed to free himself was because he had figured out the real purpose of the machine. 

Would the others figure out what they needed to do? he wondered.

John knew his people well enough that he could guess what sort of emotions the machine would force them to re-live. He also knew how easy it was to get lost down the rabbit hole of illusions the device created. 

What would happen if they didn't confront whatever it was the device wanted them to deal with? Would the machine eventually release them regardless of what they were able to resolve while inside the compartments? John couldn't imagine the Ancients building something that would trap someone forever. Still, these were the same Ancients who had designed the gauntlet of tests to establish a permanent mental link. Maybe he should be worried, after all, he decided.

"Of course, it would have helped that the Ancients knew what they were doing," John muttered to himself as he stared at the patterned ceiling of the infirmary. 

He heard footsteps coming in his direction a few minutes later and saw Beckett walking toward him, a tablet computer in his free hand. 

"You'll be happy to know your x-rays are all clear," Carson said as he stopped at the side of John's bed. "It will take a few more hours for all of the bloodwork to come back, but from the preliminary results, I'm reasonably sure that gas didn't do you any permanent harm. How are you feeling?" 

John shrugged. "Fine, I guess. How long was I in that thing?" 

"A little over an hour," Carson replied, his tone and expression serious. 

John looked down at his hands and thought back to Holland, Ford, and Vance. An hour? That was all? 

"Colonel?" Beckett said, drawing John back to the present. 

John looked up, noting the concerned expression on Beckett's face. "It seemed like a lot longer than that," John admitted softly, and looked anywhere but at Carson.

Carson pulled a stool over to the side of the bed and sat down. "What happened?" he asked as he set the computer on the bed behind him and adjusted the sling supporting his injured shoulder.

John glanced at Carson, then crossed his arms over his chest and focused on the wall across the room. "It was all a bit surreal," he said. 

"From what we could gather from our side, it appeared you were having some very lucid dreams." 

John nodded. "That's one way to put it," he replied, his voice almost a whisper as he thought about the courtroom. 

"Colonel," Carson said after several seconds of silence. "John," he amended. When John glanced at him, Carson continued, "I'm willing to listen if you want to talk about it." 

"Nothing to talk about," John replied and forced his mind away from the memories surrounding Vance, Holland, and Ford. 

John saw the concern in Beckett's expression but was grateful Carson chose to let the matter drop. "So how did you manage to get yourself free from the device?" 

John shrugged. "I remembered something Rodney told me once about the Ancients only ever thinking about how to ascend, and Teyla thought the Ancients used the room to meditate. Figured the machine combined the two somehow." 

Carson gave him a measured look. "Elizabeth was able to translate the writing on the wall," he said, and John quirked an eyebrow at this news. 

"Oh?"

"Hmm," Carson replied. "The text said something about releasing one's burdens." 

John focused on the wall again, refusing to confirm or deny Carson's suspicions. He had no desire to talk about what he had seen thanks to the device. 

John let the silence hang for a moment longer, then asked, "Have you heard anything from Elizabeth?" 

"No," Carson replied as he stood from the stool. "I have Sharon keeping an eye on Rodney and the others. If something happens, she knows to radio me." 

John nodded absently and stared at the wall opposite his bed as another memory surfaced. 

_"Before I ascended, I assisted others along The Way."_

John sat up with a start.

"Colonel?" Carson asked. 

"I need to get back over there," John replied, pushing back the bed covers. 

"I don't think --" 

"You said I was fine," John countered as he pulled off the nasal cannula. He ignored the dull ache in his head and legs as he sat on the edge of the bed and looked for his boots.

"I said you were probably fine," Beckett told him. "From what Doctor Zelenka and the engineering team have worked out about that machine, there's nothing any of us can do to help Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla at the moment." 

"That's where you're wrong, Carson. I think there is something we can do." 

John read Carson's skepticism in the arm crossed over his chest, cradling the sling, not to mention the frown on Beckett's face, and held up his hands. "When Rodney and I met Yana in that cave on Lurra, she said something about helping others with their journey along The Way." He pointed out the door in the general direction of the tower. "What if that machine was what she was talking about?" 

"You think this Yana acted as some sort of guide for another Ancient using the device?" 

"Sure, why not?" John ignored the wash of vertigo as he bent down to tie his boots. "It's easy to lose track of reality once you're inside that thing," he added more to the floor than Beckett. He glanced up and saw the worry line creased across Carson's forehead. "Maybe there's something I can do to help get the others out now that I know what the machine is really for." 

He stood and forced himself not to use the edge of the bed for balance as the room tilted. "Coming?" he asked and made his careful way toward the door.

"Of course, I'm coming," Carson replied with a disgruntled frown, and followed John out of the infirmary. 

John walked into the stone room a few minutes later and found nothing had changed in the time he'd been gone. Sharon still paced back-and-forth along the row of occupied alcoves, studying the readouts on the transparent panels, and occasionally making notes on the computer. Zelenka and his team huddled near the central pillar, discussing something as they pointed to various computers, and Thompson and Daley stood near the door, watching the activity. 

"Sir," Thompson greeted. "Nothing to really report," he added in reply to John's questioning glance. 

John nodded. "I was afraid of that," he muttered under his breath and walked over to the row of alcoves. "Any indication they might be coming around?" he asked Sharon. 

Sharon shook her head. "Unfortunately, no, Colonel. From the readings I'm seeing, they are stable for the moment." She turned to Beckett and added, "However, Doctor McKay's numbers and Ronon's seem to spike at odd intervals." 

"But they eventually return to normal?" Carson asked as he took the computer from Sharon. 

"No, not exactly," she replied. "Their heart rates do come down again, but each time is slightly higher than the previous stable reading." 

John saw Carson frown at this news, and he was still studying the frozen faces of his team when he felt a tap on his arm. 

"Colonel," Elizabeth said with a glance at Beckett, "Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" 

"I'm fine," John said and moved away from the alcoves. 

"It's too dangerous," Zelenka said, and John looked over at the engineering huddle in time to see Radek shaking his head. 

"We don't have any better options," Matthews argued. 

"What's the problem?" John asked as he walked over to the consoles. 

"Doctor Matthews is suggesting we cut the power to this room," Radek explained with a glare at the scientist standing on the other side of the pillar. 

"If we cut the power, the compartments should open," Matthew said to John. 

"Should?" John asked and saw the worry in Radek's eyes. 

"I thought disrupting the alcoves was too dangerous," Elizabeth added.

"I believe that is true," Zelenka replied, and Matthews huffed out a frustrated breath. "When the device released Colonel Sheppard, his waking was a gradual process." Radek glanced at Beckett, and Carson nodded. "I believe anyone using the machine needs that time to, to reacclimate, so to speak. I have no idea what will happen if Rodney and the others are suddenly thrown out of whatever the machine is doing with no preparation."

"Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

Beckett glanced over at the alcoves. "I think Radek is right. It's too risky." 

John thought back to the courtroom, Holland and the others surrounding him. "Maybe we don't need to shut the machine down at all," he suggested. 

"What are you thinking?" Elizabeth asked.

John glanced from Beckett to Zelenka, then nodded his head at the far wall with the Ancient text. Elizabeth frowned but followed him across the room. John waited until Carson joined them and said, "Being inside that thing … Reality gets lost. What if the Ancients meant for anyone using it to have someone there with them? Someone to keep them grounded." 

"Another failsafe?" Elizabeth asked.

John shrugged. "Something like that." 

Elizabeth pursed her lips as she studied his face. "How did you come up with this idea?" 

"Something Yana said when we met her a few months ago about helping others along The Way." 

"I see," she replied with a frown. "One of these days, Colonel, we are going to discuss your creative reporting style. Neither you nor Rodney mentioned any of this after that mission." 

John was still trying to formulate a response to that when Carson stepped in. "Rodney's vitals are becoming a concern, Elizabeth. Ronon's as well. If Colonel Sheppard is right, this may be the fastest way to release them from the device."

"And what about Colonel Sheppard? What will going back into one of those alcoves do to him?" 

"The lab is still running his bloodwork, but it appears the gas is a sedative of sorts --"

"It doesn't matter," John interrupted. "You heard Carson. They are getting worse. We have to do something." 

Elizabeth looked over at the line of alcoves then back to John. 

John followed her gaze and noted Zelenka standing at the consoles, watching them with a puzzled expression. 

"All right, let's talk to Radek and see if this is even possible," Elizabeth decided with a resigned sigh. She led the way back over to the central pillar. "Doctor Zelenka, Colonel Sheppard has an idea." 

"Oh?" Zelenka replied with a glance at John. 

"What if we weren't that far off with the idea of trying to talk to Rodney inside the device, we just didn't do it the right way the first time." 

Zelenka stared at him for a moment then turned to Tsao and Matthews. 

"It might be possible," Tsao offered. "We know there are three different frequencies the device is currently producing. Those frequencies are similar to the theta waves produced when someone is dreaming." 

"Yes, yes," Radek agreed. "That is the mechanism that produces the visions someone would see when inside one of the compartments."

"Three frequencies, three different dreams," John said with another glance at the alcoves. 

Zelenka nodded. "That is why your idea of trying to talk to Rodney didn't work the first time. We didn't know each compartment produced a different frequency." He glanced at Tsao. "However, with this new information, I may have another idea." 

"I'm listening," Elizabeth said.

Radek gave Elizabeth a quick glance, then said, "I believe there may be a way I can match one alcove frequency to another. That would allow, say, Colonel Sheppard to communicate with one of them and possibly convince them to wake up." 

"Do it," John ordered and walked back over to the alcove between Rodney and Teyla. 

"Colonel, wait," Elizabeth said as she held up a hand. 

John blew out a breath but stopped a few steps from the alcove. "Elizabeth --" 

"Radek, how sure are you that Colonel Sheppard will be able to keep his … grasp on reality, so to speak, once he's back inside that alcove?" 

John glanced from Elizabeth to Radek. He had to admit, that was one thing he hadn't taken into consideration. 

"I am hoping that since his alcove is, what is word, piggy-backed, on one of the others, that Colonel Sheppard won't be influenced in the same manner as whoever is experiencing the altered reality inside the device." 

"You're sure?" John asked. 

Radek shrugged. "Reasonably sure," he replied. "Whoever you connect with would still be under the influence of the machine, however. To them, you would be přízrak. A ghost," he added when John cocked an eyebrow. 

Elizabeth frowned. "You said 'whoever' John connected with. You can't link him to a specific person?" 

"Umm, no." Radek pushed up his glasses and glanced over at John. "There is no way for me to tell which of the frequencies belongs to which alcove. I have no idea which of them the machine will connect you to." 

John shrugged. "I can work with that," he said and started to step into the alcove.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Radek said. 

John tried to keep his impatience under control as he turned around and started to glare at Radek. When he saw the pensive expression on Radek's face, he held his temper and asked, "What?" 

"There is one other problem." Radek took a deep breath. "Once you are connected …" He started to say, then hesitated. 

"Spit it out, Doctor Zelenka," John growled. 

Radek crossed his arms over his chest and glanced from John to Elizabeth. "Once the machine connects you to one of them," he waved a hand at the sealed alcoves, "you should be able to talk to them, and may even be able to see whatever it is they are seeing. But that is all you will be able to do." 

"Meaning what?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Meaning Colonel Sheppard will be unable to control the outcome of events occurring to whomever he is linked with. So unless, say, Rodney, can do whatever is necessary for the alcove to shut down --" 

"Both of them will remain trapped," Elizabeth finished.

"Yes. I am afraid so," Radek replied. 

"John, maybe this isn't such a good idea," Elizabeth said. "We need to give Zelenka and his team more time to figure out a different solution." 

John stepped into the alcove and blinked when the blue light came on. "Ronon and Teyla have already been in those alcoves for almost three hours. Rodney's been in there close to four," he countered. "We don't have time to wait for another idea."

Elizabeth gave him a long, measured look. "Whenever you're ready, Doctor Zelenka," she said and stepped back from the alcove as the clear panel closed.


	5. Chapter 5

Teyla sat beside the low bed, Charin's fingers clasped in a loose grip, as she looked around the tent. Her people were ill, two had died, and Olette still did not know the cause. Maybe if she had been on the mainland, instead of in the Ancestor's city, she could have done something to stop the disease from spreading so quickly. She could have called Doctor Beckett in sooner, regardless of Halling's objections about the village becoming too dependent on the expedition team. If she had, perhaps Telus and Rada would still be alive, and Charin would still be healthy. 

She glanced over at the bed across from Charin's where Jinto sat beside Halling. One of the Doctor Beckett's nurses changed the IV bag hanging next to the bed. She didn't remember Beckett and his team arriving on the mainland, nor did she recognise any of the doctors or nurses helping her people, but she was grateful for their assistance all the same.

Teyla ducked her head and turned back to Charin. She squeezed Charin's hand, suddenly aware of how thin and cold her fingers felt. When had that happened? she wondered.

When she was away from the village, Charin was still the energetic woman of Teyla's youth. She could hear Charin singing songs as she cooked, or patiently showing the village children how to hunt and gather wild fruits. It was only when she visited the mainland that she realised Charin was now an old woman. An old woman who was sick, Teyla reminded herself, and there was little she could do to help her. 

"I am sorry, Charin," she whispered. "I should have been here for you." 

Teyla felt a light pressure against her fingers, looked up, and found Charin watching her. 

"You have … nothing to apologise for, you know," Charin rasped, then started coughing. 

Teyla held up a glass and supported Charin's head as she swallowed a few sips of water. Once she'd had enough, Teyla lay her head back on the pillow and Charin closed her eyes.

"I should have been here," Teyla said as she adjusted Charin's blanket. "There may have been something I could have done to prevent so many of our people becoming ill."

Charin opened her eyes and shook her head. "That is not how … this works … dear," she replied. "You cannot continue … doubting yourself … or the choices … you have made." 

Have I made a choice? Teyla asked herself as she glanced at the other beds inside the tent. She continued to believe she could live in two worlds but was it possible? Or would she only end up letting down everyone, Athosian and Atlantis alike? 

"You must … answer your doubt … dear. It is … the only way." 

Teyla frowned at the odd phrasing, but now wasn't the time to worry about her personal problems, she told herself. Her only concern was Charin and the well-being of her people. Her demons could wait. 

Charin sighed, and Teyla glanced down at her in time to see her eyes drift closed. "Charin?" she called and squeezed the hand she held. She felt the faint pulse beat under her fingers and closed her eyes in relief. She pressed her forehead to Charin's and whispered, "You have to get better, my chaguo bibi. I am not ready to be parted from you yet." 

She opened her eyes a moment later and found herself walking along a path in a forest. Major Lorne was a few paces in front of her, following a Marine who led the way through the trees. Teyla glanced behind her and found several more Marines following her.

"Anything?" Lorne called to the Marine in front of him.

"Nothing, sir," the Marine replied. 

Teyla tried to think of the Marine's name but came up blank. She glanced behind her and realised she had no idea who the two women and three men following her were either. She knew there had been an influx of new personnel to Atlantis since the expedition was able to contact Earth, but was she that out-of-touch with the goings and comings in the city these days? she wondered. 

"Come on, Colonel," she heard Lorne mutter under his breath as he watched the nearby trees. "Where are you guys? Give me some sort of sign here." 

They walked for several more minutes before the lead Marine held up his hand and signalled for the rest of them to halt with a closed fist. 

"Sergeant?" Lorne hissed. 

"Clearing ahead, sir," the Marine replied in a low murmur with a glance back at Lorne. 

Lorne nodded and motioned for the Marines behind Teyla to fan out and surround the area. "Ready?" he whispered into his radio a few seconds later. 

Teyla tapped her earpiece and listened as the Marines checked-in once they were in position. 

When she heard the last "Ready, sir", Lorne glanced at her, then nodded to the lead Marine and said, "On my mark. Three. Two. One." 

Teyla followed Lorne into the clearing but was only vaguely aware of the Marines entering the clearing around her. Her focus was solely on the three desiccated bodies on the ground. 

"Damn," Lorne whispered. He knelt next to one of the bodies, unzipped the jacket, and pulled out a set of dog tags on a chain. "It's Sheppard," he said, his tone full of regret as he removed the metal discs from the body.

Teyla didn't need the confirmation; she had recognised the bodies of her team as soon as she entered the clearing. Ronon's duster and particle weapon were distinct as was the cloth band Sheppard wore on one wrist. Once she knew who two of the bodies were, it wasn't a stretch to realise the third had to be Rodney. 

She knelt beside Sheppard and rested a hand on his chest, then turned to Rodney and brushed her fingers across his cheek. She glanced over at Ronon and dropped her chin to her chest. She whispered a prayer to the Ancestors, then stood and stepped back, wiping her eyes. 

"Sergeant, let's take them home," Lorne said softly. 

"Yes, sir," the Marine next to Lorne replied. He unclipped his pack and tac vest then pulled off his uniform jacket. The other Marines followed suit, while Lorne took a small axe from a loop on his belt and walked over to the nearest tree. 

Teyla turned away as the Marines surrounded the bodies and built three makeshift stretchers out of branches and their jackets to carry her team back to the stargate. A bubble of anguish grew in her throat as the men and women picked up each of the bodies. She backed several steps up the path and turned into the trees before Lorne and the others saw her grief. 

"Teyla!" Lorne called, but she ignored him. "Teyla! Wait!" 

Once she was away from the clearing, she stopped running and braced one hand on a nearby tree as tears ran down her cheeks. Ronon. Rodney. John. They were gone, and she had done nothing to help them or prevent their deaths. Would they still be alive if she had been with them? she wondered. Perhaps if she had been here, her ability to sense the Wraith would have given her team enough warning to escape. 

She heard a branch snap behind her and turned to see Major Lorne standing a few paces behind her. 

"Teyla," Lorne started to say but stopped when Teyla shook her head. 

She wiped her face and tried to get her breathing under control. "I will only be a moment longer, Major," she said. 

Lorne took a step closer to her. "This wasn't your fault, you know." 

Teyla took a deep breath. "I was not here when they needed me, Major. If I had been, perhaps they would still be alive." 

"You can't know that," Lorne replied. 

Teyla adjusted the strap for the P-90 as she walked past Lorne. "I should have been here, Major," she said. 

"Blaming yourself won't bring them back," Lorne replied as he fell into step beside her. "The only thing you can do is answer your doubt." 

Teyla kept walking. She was not looking forward to her next meeting with Doctor Weir. How would she explain she was on the mainland and not with the rest of her team when they needed her? She had a responsibility to Sheppard and the others, and she had failed them. The more she thought about it, the more she realised her hope of balancing her two different lives wasn't working. 

She pushed a branch out of the way and found herself inside one of the Athosian tents. 

"How …" she started to ask herself as she looked around the tent. 

Something tickled her memory. Her people were ill, dying, and Olette unable to cure them. Teyla heard the tent flap move behind her, turned, and saw Halling enter the tent. 

"Halling?" Teyla asked with a confused frown. There was something wrong with the idea of him walking toward her, but she couldn't remember what it could be. 

"Good, you are here," Halling said as he took her arm and led her down the rows of beds. "Olette was afraid you would not get here in time." 

"Get here in time?" she asked. "What has happened?" 

Halling's reply was little more than a non-committal rumble as he stopped at the end of one of the beds. "She doesn't have long," he said. 

Teyla glanced at the bed and swallowed. Charin lay in the bed in front of her, looking frail and spent. 

"No," Teyla whispered as she sank down on the low stool next to the bed. She took Charin's hand and brushed a stray wisp of hair away from Charin's face. 

"Teyla?" a new voice whispered and Teyla looked up in surprise. 

"Colonel Sheppard?" She looked up but didn't see Sheppard standing next to her. 

"Yeah," Sheppard replied. "Sort of, anyway." 

Memories teased her. Standing in a forest, bodies on the ground in front of her. She shook her head, pushing the strange feeling aside. "Where are you?" she asked as she glanced around the tent. 

Halling stood at the end of Charin's bed, watching her, but she didn't see Sheppard. 

"That's going to be kind of hard to explain," John said. Teyla thought she heard a hint of frustration in his tone. "The short answer is, whatever it is that you're seeing right now, isn't really happening." 

Teyla shook her head and focused on Charin as her breathing became more labored. "How can you say that? Can you not see that Charin is very ill?" 

"She's really not," Sheppard said. "What you're experiencing right now is a sort of dream." 

Teyla ignored Sheppard as she bent forward and studied Charin's face. She could feel the bones in Charin's fingers as she held her hand. She could hear Charin fighting to breathe. How could Sheppard tell her this wasn't real? 

"Did Doctor Beckett come to the mainland with you, Colonel?" she finally asked, her gaze never wavering from Charin's face. 

"Beckett can't help her," Sheppard said. "What you're seeing, feeling, it's all inside your head." 

She should have been here, Teyla berated herself. Instead, she had been miles away in Atlantis, or worse, on another planet entirely. What had she been thinking? Her people needed her here. She had a responsibility to them. 

Teyla sat next to the low bed, Sheppard and Halling forgotten as she allowed her doubts to consume her. 

"Teyla," Sheppard said. "You have to believe me. This isn't real." 

"Teyla," Halling said from the end of the bed. "Charin will not recover until you answer your doubt." 

"Doubt?" Sheppard asked. "What … Teyla, are you afraid you're letting us down somehow?" 

Teyla heard them speaking, but it was mere noise. Could they not see she had more important things to worry about at the moment than her personal feelings? Charin's breathing hitched and Teyla froze. 

"Charin?" she whispered as the hand she held slipped from her loose grip and lay limp on the edge of the bed. "Charin?" she called again and ducked her head as the grief swallowed her. 

She heard the murmur of dozens of voices and looked up. She was no longer in the tent. There was no Charin lying on her deathbed. No Halling looking down at her, disappointed she had let Charin and the others die. Now she stood in the gateroom, surrounded by scientists and Marines. Three caskets stood in a row in front of the active stargate. A Marine detail stood at attention next to one of the coffins draped with a red, white, and blue flag. 

Doctor Weir made her way through the crowd to the podium set to one side of the 'gate. The low babble of conversation stopped, and Weir glanced around the room before she spoke. "We are here today to remember Colonel John Sheppard, Doctor Rodney McKay, and Ronon Dex of Sateda." 

Teyla wrapped her arms around her middle and ducked her head. "No," she whispered. "This cannot be happening." 

"Teyla, listen to me," Sheppard said, drowning out Elizabeth's speech. 

Teyla looked up, startled by the voice. "John?" she whispered. "How can this be? You are …" She glanced at the caskets and swallowed. "Am I going mad?" she asked and glanced around at the faceless men and women standing around her. 

"No," Sheppard replied, his tone firm. "This is all a trick, an illusion. It isn't real. Remember what Halling told you." 

"Halling?" Teyla asked. She hadn't spoken to Halling since … When was the last time she had been on the mainland? she wondered. 

"Yes, Halling. He said you had to answer your doubt, remember? That's what this is all about." 

Teyla shook her head. "Answer my doubt?" 

"Think back," John told her, and she heard the frustration and concern in his tone. "We were in the city. Rodney's science team had found a new room in one of the towers." 

Teyla closed her eyes. Sheppard's words did remind her of something. A room made of stone. There had been a sense of calm … a quietness to the room she had never experienced within the city before. But there was something wrong about the room as well, she remembered. 

"Rodney was trapped," she murmured. "There was a machine and a line of alcoves along one wall. We entered the compartments to try and help him." 

"Yeah," Sheppard replied. "Let's just say that didn't go to plan." 

Teyla heard the sarcasm in Sheppard's tone and suspected if he had been standing in front of her, she was sure he would have had a crooked smile on his face. 

"Instead of rescuing McKay, we all ended up trapped in the machine with him." 

Teyla opened her eyes and looked around. The gateroom was empty. The caskets were gone. The mourners were gone. The stargate was quiet. 

"If we are all inside the machine, why can I not see you?" 

"Like I said, it's complicated," Sheppard replied. "The Ancients used the machine to sort of … meditate. The only way to escape is to deal with whatever is bothering you." 

Teyla dropped her arms to her sides, turned around, and saw the inside of an Athosian tent where the steps leading up to the control room would typically be. "You must answer your doubt," Halling said as he stepped forward from the edge of the tent. 

Answer her doubt. 

She looked to her right, and Doctor Weir stood in front of the silent stargate, her hands clasped in front of her. "Teyla, you need to answer your doubt." 

As Teyla stood with the stargate on her right and the Athosian tent on her left, she began to understand what Sheppard meant regarding the purpose of the machine. She closed her eyes, took a deep, calming breath, and slowly blew it out. She concentrated on her breathing, letting all of the distractions fade until her heart rate slowed, and her mind was at peace. 

When she felt centered, she opened her eyes and faced Halling. "I will never abandon our people," she told him. "But there is more that I can do for you and the others if I stay in Atlantis. For now." 

Halling studied her for a moment, then bowed his head. "We know this to be true," he replied. "It is well that you now understand this as well." He stepped forward and added, "You do not have to bear this burden alone, however." 

Teyla smiled and took Halling's hands in a light grip. Halling bent forward, and they touched foreheads. "I know that now," she whispered. "Thank you." 

She stepped back and watched as Halling and the Athosian tent vanished. Teyla stared at the empty space for a few moments longer, letting the peace of her decision wash over her, then walked over to where Doctor Weir stood near the stargate. 

"Doctor Weir, there is still much I can do here in the city and as part of Colonel Sheppard's team, to support your people as well as my own. I would like the chance to prove that I am still worthy of the trust you gave me after we first met." 

"It was your choice to join us then," Weir said with a nod. 

"And it is a choice I willingly make again," Teyla replied without hesitation. 

"I'm glad to hear it," she replied as she slowly faded until only the silent stargate remained. 

"Feel better," Sheppard's voice asked. 

Teyla took a deep breath and turned in a slow circle. "Yes, Colonel. I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. This has been an … enlightening experience." 

She heard John chuckle as the room started to disappear and smiled. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

John stumbled out of the alcove and squeezed his eyes shut as the room dipped and rolled around him. He felt someone grab his arm and was thankful for the anonymous assistance as he sank down and sat on the floor with his back against the edge of the alcove.

"John?" Elizabeth said, and John felt her squeeze his arm. "Are you all right?" 

John took a few deep breaths and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think," he replied as he opened his eyes. "Teyla?" he asked. 

"She was released from her compartment," Elizabeth replied with a nod at the huddle on the floor a few feet away. "Carson is checking her over." 

John blew out a breath of relief and tried to push himself to his feet, but the hand Elizabeth still had on his arm stopped him. "Just give yourself a few minutes," she admonished. 

The room swayed around him, and John decided to take Elizabeth's advice. It had been difficult enough convincing Carson to release him the first time. He glanced to his left where Ronon and Rodney were still stuck inside the machine. He wouldn't be able to help them at all if Beckett hauled him back over to the infirmary. 

"How long was I in there?" John asked as he leant his head against the alcove wall. 

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. "About thirty minutes." 

John nodded again and scrubbed a hand over his face. He was surprised how tired he felt after such a relatively short amount of time inside the alcove. He wasn't sure what to expect once back inside the machine, but to be surrounded by stifling darkness hadn't been it. He had heard voices in the distance, Teyla talking to various people, and had concentrated on following her voice. It hadn't been easy, but he had eventually been able to hear Teyla clearly even if the rest of the sounds around her came and went like a badly tuned radio. The darkness had never vanished, however. 

He was not looking forward to two more trips like that, but after listening to Teyla struggle with her doubts, he suspected Ronon and Rodney were going to need his help even more. Sitting next to Elizabeth and looking back, he realised part of the reason he had been able to get through to Teyla was because, of all of them, she was the most willing to examine her choices and emotions already. Ronon and Rodney were both experts at avoidance, and John suspected getting either of them to listen to him was going to be ten times more difficult. 

"Great," he muttered under his breath. 

"John?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Nothing," John replied with a tired sigh. 

John saw the worried expression on Elizabeth's face but ignored it. He knew if they wanted to get Ronon and McKay out the machine, someone would have to go back in after them, and he already knew what to expect. He sat watching the nearby activity until Carson braced a hand on the wall of Teyla's alcove and pushed himself to his feet. 

"Let's get her back to the infirmary," Beckett said to Sharon as he tugged on the strap for the sling. 

John shrugged off Elizabeth's hand on his arm, pushed himself to his feet, and had his first look at Teyla, unconscious, with an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, lying on the floor a few feet away. "Carson?" he asked as Thompson and Daley picked Teyla up and settled her on the waiting gurney. 

"I think she'll be fine," Beckett replied as Sharon checked the oxygen mask and nodded to Jason standing beside her. "The worst of it seems to be her oxygen levels are low. I'll run the same tests as we ran on you and I should know more soon." 

"Maybe you should go with them," Elizabeth suggested to John as Jason wheeled Teyla out of the room. 

John shook his head and walked over to Zelenka standing next to one of the consoles. The two scientists who had been with Radek earlier had disappeared, and John glanced around the room wondering where they had gone. 

"Colonel Sheppard, you are all right?" Radek asked as John surreptitiously rested a hand on the edge of the console to Zelenka's left. 

"Yeah, I'll be fine," John replied. "Your idea worked. I was able to talk to Teyla." 

Radek nodded. "Good, that is good." He studied John a moment longer, then went back to the computer balanced on the edge of the console. 

"Where's …?" John asked and waved his hand at the space next to Radek. 

"Oh," Zelenka replied and glanced over at Rodney's alcove. "I asked them to return to the main tower and continue to search through the database for more information on the device." 

John gave him a shrewd glance and wondered what had brought on the sudden feeling of discretion. Was it merely Zelenka trying to protect McKay in his own way from additional scrutiny or was it something else? He didn't think Rodney would say anything outright about the link, both of them had decided to keep the number of people who knew their secret to a minimum, but that still left Radek's native intelligence. 

_"That's what you get for assembling a team of brilliant scientists,"_ he remembered Rodney telling Caldwell once. 

How much had he guessed? John wondered when he noticed Radek watching him again. 

One problem at a time, John ordered himself. What Zelenka may or may not have figured out about the link could wait. Right now, he still had two people he needed to rescue from an Ancient meditation chamber. John pushed himself off the console and forced himself to stand up straight. 

"So, you were able to see and hear everything in Teyla's vision?" Radek asked as he turned back to the console. "That is fascinating."

"Hear? Yes. Sort of. See? No," John replied. "I don't suppose there's anything you can do about that?" 

Zelenka frowned at the computer in front of him. "It may be possible, yes. This is not ideal setup." He nodded to the precariously balanced computers attached to the various consoles. "And Rodney has a much better sense for Ancient technology and how to coax it into working for him."

Radek gave John a knowing look and John had a flash memory of Zelenka watching as Rodney felt the vibrations from the control crystals in the transformer console when it blew up. 

Oh yeah, John thought as he forced his expression to remain neutral, Zelenka had definitely guessed a few things. The question was, how much? And how would Rodney react when he found out. 

"Just do what you can," John told him and stepped back from the consoles.

He watched with distracted interest as Radek spent several minutes typing on the computers or pressing tiles on the various stations around the pillar. If Zelenka was getting ideas about the link, how many of the other scientists were noticing things? he wondered. 

And what about the military side? Lorne? Thompson? Stackhouse? Were they watching him with the same scrutiny and coming to similar conclusions? John crossed his arms over his chest and made a mental note to tell Rodney they needed to be more careful unless they wanted the whole base to know about the link. 

"John," Elizabeth said as she stopped beside him. "Carson just radioed. Teyla is awake." 

"She's okay?" 

Elizabeth nodded. "He thinks so. She's still groggy, and Carson wants to keep her in the infirmary for now while he finishes running more tests." 

"Colonel," Radek said and looked up from the computer. "I believe I have a way to improve the … connection for your compartment if you want to try communicating with Ronon or Rodney." 

"Any way to tell which one I'm going to get this time?" John asked as he stepped back over to the alcove. 

"No. Sorry." Radek shook his head. "I had to, as Rodney would say, cobble something together, for this to work." 

"But I'll be able to see and hear what's going on this time?" 

Zelenka rechecked the computer in front of him. "I believe so, yes." 

John stepped into the alcove, waited for the blue light to come on, then nodded at Radek. "Back in a few," he said to Elizabeth as he pressed the button near his left hand and the alcove sealed. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Ronon ducked as another blast from a Wraith stunner passed over his head. He growled low in his throat as he returned fire, smiling as two of the Wraith drones following him dropped to the ground. He ducked fire from one of the remaining drones and ran farther into the forest, drawing the remaining drones away from the village. 

The village men had charged behind him as he attacked the line of drones coming into the village. They had fought as best they could with the few weapons they had, but Ronon had known it couldn't last for long, the villagers were ill-equipped to deal with a sustained attack. When a stun blast caught one of the young men fighting beside Ronon in the chest, dropping him to the ground in a heap, Ronon had killed the Wraith, then yelled an order for the rest of the men to join their families. He had waited long enough to make sure the men were clear of the attacking Wraith; then he had rushed into the midst of the drones, picking them off one by one as he led the Wraith away from the village. 

Ronon ducked behind a tree, shot the three drones still following him, and checked the charge for the particle weapon as he caught his breath. He heard more of the Wraith soldiers stomping around in the forest. Stealth had never been their strong suit, he thought to himself with a grim smile, and wondered where the commanders were hiding. He assumed there had to be at least three of the leaders directing the attack on the ground, but they must have been well behind the soldiers sent to attack the village. 

"Or they could be in the air," Ronon muttered and glared up at a dart as it buzzed past overhead. 

He watched as the ship banked in a wide turn heading back in the direction of the village. Ronon stepped out from behind the tree, and felt a feral grin on his face when he noticed the dart skimming low over the forest. He took careful aim with the particle weapon and fired several shots at the dart as it passed overhead. The smile widened when he saw a smoke trail stream away from the underbelly of the ship. At least one of his shots had hit something vital. He watched as the dart wobbled off course, skimming over the trees before he heard it crash in the forest with a thunderous boom and a ball of fire. 

Ronon did a quick survey of the surrounding trees and nodded when he didn't see any more Wraith drones. He kept a careful eye on the surrounding trees as he jogged back through the woods in the direction of the village. He was almost back to the clearing with the few houses and other buildings when he felt himself smiling again. It had been a long time since he'd been in a fight. Usually, he hit a planet long enough to resupply and left again before anyone knew he was there. 

He had learnt in his first few days as a Runner that if he wanted to survive, he had to stay two steps ahead of any native population on a planet as well as the Wraith sent to hunt him. It was rare when he had the chance to indulge his anger and exact a bit of revenge for what the Wraith had done to Sateda. This time, however, the hive ship must have been close to the planet since the Wraith had attacked before he even had a chance to scout the village for anything worth stealing. 

The smile vanished as Ronon crept closer to the village. While he hoped the villagers had been able to escape the culling, he wasn't expecting any thanks for his efforts in saving their town. The men and women would either blame him for the loss of life and any destruction to the village, or they would try to capture him and give him to the Wraith in the hopes of preventing another attack. Either way, Ronon knew if he wanted to scavenge anything from the village for his own survival, he would need to do it fast and get back to the portal before the villagers, or the Wraith, returned. 

A branch snapped nearby, and Ronon crouched down, his head on a swivel as he searched for whatever had made the noise. An animal? he wondered. Or more Wraith? He didn't hear anything else and was ready to continue his trek back to the village when a lone Wraith drone stepped out of the trees to Ronon's left. 

Ronon fired, killing the drone before it even knew he was there, and waited to see if any more were following it. When no other Wraith appeared, Ronon turned back to the village and ran back through the trees. He stopped just short of the clearing where the village sat and listened for any indication that either the Wraith were still there or the villagers had returned. When he didn't hear anything, he stepped forward, pushing a branch out of his way … 

And walked into the central square of a city. Ronon recognised several of the stone buildings surrounding the courtyard and stopped short. This was Sateda, he realised as he turned in a slow circle, surveying the damage to the buildings in the square. He had no memory of returning home. Hadn't he been near a village? he wondered as he looked around in confusion.

He heard voices coming down one of the narrow streets and ducked behind a pile of rubble. He pulled out the particle weapon and waited to see if the voices heading toward him belonged to friend or foe. 

"Wait! Stop!" a man called in a breathless shout. 

Ronon peeked out from around the stone pile and watched as a group of men, women, and a few children entered the square. Two of the men were carrying a third, and all of them were bloody with makeshift bandages wrapped around various limbs. One of the women carried a baby, and all of them glanced behind them even as they stopped in the middle of the square. 

"We can't stop," the man leading the group said. "The Wraith are almost to the city. We have to get to the portal." 

"I know, I know," the breathless man said as he adjusted his grip on the body he carried. "Just need a minute to catch my breath." 

The leader glanced at the man, then nodded. "Fine," he grunted. He gripped a cudgel in both hands and kept a wary eye on the nearby alleys as the two men lowered their burden to the ground. 

"What happened?" Ronon asked as he stepped out from behind the pile of rubble. 

The leader jumped, but Ronon was pleased to see his surprise didn't affect his judgement. The leader brandished the cudgel in one hand as he pushed the women behind him with the other. He took a step toward Ronon and gave him a hard look. "Wraith broke through the last of the city's defences this morning," he said. "How do you not know that?"

"He's a deserter," one of the women accused with a scowl. "Running away while he still can." 

"Can you blame him?" one of the other women replied. "There are rumors Kell and some of the other military leaders have already abandoned us to the Wraith." 

Ronon scowled at the group. "I'm no deserter," he told the first woman. He ignored her sniff of disdain and continued, "That man needs a doctor." He pointed to the body on the ground. "Some of the rest of you do, too. Come with me. I'll get you to the hospital." 

The leader shook his head. "The hospital was destroyed. We need to get to the portal." 

"What?" Ronon's stomach lurched at the news. "The hospital is gone?" 

The man nodded. "Not more than an hour ago. Blast from a Wraith ship took out most of the building. Not much is left." 

Ronon heard a roaring in his ears even as he focused on the smoke plume rising in the near distance. Maybe she escaped, he told himself. Maybe she wasn't even at the hospital today. 

"We need to go," the man said to the rest of his group. 

Ronon ignored them as he stared at the smoke. She would have been there, he knew. How many times had he begged her to leave the city? Leave while there was still time? 

He felt a hand brush his arm. "Come with us, son," the man with the cudgel said. "There's nothing anyone can do for the city now." 

Ronon shook off the sympathetic hand. "Use the alley," he said and pointed to the narrow opening on the other side of the square. "Keep your heads down," he added with a glance at the little group. 

The leader studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Luck to you, friend," the man said. He waved a hand at the rest of his group, waited for the two men to pick up the injured man, and led the way through the alley Ronon indicated. 

Ronon waited until they were gone then ran down a different street in the direction of the hospital. He heard screams and the whine of Wraith weapons off to his right, but his only goal was to reach the section of the city with the hospital. It took longer than he hoped, fallen debris had blocked the first two streets he had tried. He headed down another alley, saw the square with the hospital ahead of him, and ran faster. 

He came out of the alley and stopped short when he saw the destruction around him. The top floors of the hospital and two other nearby buildings were simply gone. Of the remaining levels of the hospital, only the front half of the building was still standing. 

"Melena!" He yelled as he ran toward what was left of the building. "Melena!" 

He climbed up into the rubble, oblivious to the scrapes and cuts to his hands and arms, as he searched for signs that anyone was still alive. He didn't hear anything -- no screams for help, no crying, nothing. Someone had to be alive, he told himself as he clawed through the rubble. 

Ronon shoved a large slab of stone to one side and peered down into the hole. "Melena! Can you hear me?" he shouted.

"She's gone," a voice said. 

Ronon looked around and saw Tyre standing at the edge of the destruction, surveying the damage to the building, his expression full of regret. 

"She made it to the portal?" Ronon asked and felt a stab of hope in his chest that Tyre might have good news about Melena. He climbed down from the pile of shattered stone, glass, and metal and stood in front of Tyre. 

Tyre shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, Ronon. She's … She's gone." 

Ronon shook his head, unwilling to believe what Tyre was telling him even as a memory of Melena dying in front of him rose in his mind. "No," he said and turned back to the rubble pile. "No. She can't be gone." 

"Ronon," Tyre said. He reached out, but Ronon slapped the comforting hand away. 

"Melena!" he yelled as he pulled another block of stone out of the rubble. 

"This won't bring her back," Tyre told him. 

Ronon spun around, his bloody hands clenched into fists as his desperate fear changed to anger. Anger at the Wraith for taking her away. Anger at himself for not being able to stop it. 

"You must answer your anger, Ronon," Tyre said, his expression serious. "It's the only way you will find what you are seeking." 

Ronon ignored the comment and turned back to the destroyed building. "Get away from me," he growled at Tyre. 

Tyre shrugged and stepped back. 

Ronon didn't bother to watch him leave. He sank to his knees and stared at the destroyed hospital. He didn't want to believe what Tyre told him, but in his heart, he knew it was true. Melena was gone. He hadn't been able to save her. He hadn't been able to save any of them. 

He heard the whine of Wraith weapons in the near distance and raised his head. The Wraith were still on the planet, he reminded himself. Ronon turned back to the building, bent forward until his forehead touched one of the slabs of stone, and closed his eyes. 

"They will pay," he whispered. "I will make them pay for what they did. You will be avenged." 

Promise made, Ronon stood up and turned his back on the hospital. He checked the particle weapon and ran down the nearest street. He had Wraith to kill. That's all that mattered now. Melena was gone. His city was destroyed. His planet forsaken. The Wraith would pay for all of that. 

Ronon found the first cluster of Wraith soldiers in the next square shooting at a group of civilians trapped between two buildings. He ran toward the group of drones, picking off his targets as he ran. The men and women scattered, and Ronon slowly made his way down the next street, listening for the sounds of fresh fighting. 

"Ronon?" a voice said, and Ronon swung around, searching for a new target.

"Hey, Ronon, it's Sheppard. Can you hear me?" 

Ronon scowled as he looked around again for the owner of the voice. "Come out, coward," he growled. "Face me." 

"Yeah, that's gonna be a little difficult," Sheppard replied. 

Ronon shook his head and continued along the street. 

"Ronon, you need to stop," Sheppard said. 

Three Wraith soldiers came out of a building, and Ronon dropped them in quick succession. "I'm busy," Ronon told the disembodied voice. He ducked his head into the building, looking for more Wraith. He didn't find any more drones and crept down the street to the next block. 

"Ronon, do you remember how you ended up … here?" Sheppard asked.

"Doesn't matter," Ronon told the voice. "Melena is dead. The Wraith killed her. They need to pay for that." 

Ronon heard the whine of Wraith weapons down the next street and broke into a jog. 

"Ronon, this isn't real," Sheppard said. "You can shoot Wraith from now to next week, and it won't make any difference." 

"They'll be dead, that's all that matters." 

Ronon spotted four more Wraith pushing a group of civilians into the middle of the street. He heard the buzz of a dart overhead and knew what would happen next. He took up a position near the corner of one of the buildings across the street and opened fire. As soon as the first Wraith soldier hit the ground, the men and women ran for the questionable safety of one of the buildings. Ronon kept shooting until the remaining drones were all dead. The dart buzzed overhead, its culling beam active. Ronon fired at the ship as well, but this time he either missed or didn't do any real damage to the dart. 

"Ronon, you need to stand down and listen to me," Sheppard said once the shooting stopped. 

"If you aren't going to help, you can go away," Ronon growled as he paced down an alley. He paused at the next corner, scanned the rooftops and the street for more Wraith then ran for cover in the next block. 

"I am trying to help you," Sheppard said. "If you would just listen --" 

Ronon shook his head. He'd had enough of the voice. It wasn't saying anything he needed to hear, and more importantly, it was distracting him from stalking more Wraith drones. 

"Get out of my head!" he yelled at the voice. 

Ronon surveyed the square in front of him looking for more targets and waited to see if the voice said anything else. When he didn't hear anything else from Sheppard, he nodded and peered around another corner. He caught movement of someone turning down the next alley and ran down the street in pursuit of more Wraith.


	6. Chapter 6

The hazy image of a rubble-strewn street vanished as John was thrown violently back into the cloying darkness. Radek had been right, he was basically a ghost as far as Ronon was concerned, tethered to Dex by an invisible string. He couldn't explain it, but John knew the tenuous connection was still there. That was the good news. The bad news was he had no idea how he was going to convince Ronon to listen to him long enough for Dex to realise what was really going on. 

John had been in the control room with Ronon when the MALP sent back images of the devastation on Sateda. He had heard Elizabeth's whispered, "my god", and he had seen the hope vanish in Ronon's eyes as the MALP panned its camera around the ruined city. John had thought he understood the anger Dex felt for what the Wraith had done to his planet. If those images had been of Earth or Atlantis, John would have felt the same need for revenge. 

What he hadn't been prepared for, was just how far Ronon was willing to take his vendetta when it came to killing Wraith. While the images around him had been little more than impressions to John, he had seen enough of Ronon's illusion to know the Ancient device had dropped him right back into the middle of the destruction. Surrounded by that kind of reminder, John realised he shouldn't have been so surprised that Ronon was deaf to John's pleas for him to stop and listen to the facts. 

He needed a different plan, John realised. So what else could he try? Would ordering Ronon to stop shooting Wraith long enough to listen to him, work? 

John shook his head. He'd probably end up forced back into the darkness again, he thought with grim humor. He had no idea how he was supposed to counter so much anger. 

_"Melena is dead. The Wraith killed her."_

The statement tickled John's memory, and he thought back to the death of his mother. To Vance, Holland, and so many others he had known who had died in combat. And then the light dawned. It wasn't just anger, he realised. What Ronon felt was a profound sense of grief. 

John was aware of what the Wraith had done to Sateda. He also knew that for a long time, Ronon believed he was the only Satedan to survive the attack on the planet. He had never stopped to consider that Ronon had had, what? A girlfriend? A wife? he wondered. 

"Sheppard, you're an idiot," John told himself and took a deep breath. "All right, let's try this again," he muttered and followed the thread connecting him to Ronon back through the darkness.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Ronon traded fire with a group of Wraith soldiers near the edge of the city. The drones had tried drawing him into a crossfire, but Ronon had spotted the trap in time to avoid it. Once the trap was blown, the Wraith had run for cover in the nearby buildings and Ronon had picked them off one by one. 

Ronon fired across the alley, and another drone clutched its chest before falling to the ground, joining four others Ronon had already shot. Answering fire from the remaining soldier forced Ronon back into the questionable cover of a partially destroyed building. Ronon bared his teeth, counted to three, turned, and fired several shots in succession across the alley, dropping not only the Wraith who had fired on him, but another one Ronon hadn't known was there.

He ducked back behind the building, listening hard and waiting for more Wraith to press the attack. After a few seconds when he didn't hear any other Wraith entering the square, Ronon poked his head around the corner of the building. The only Wraith still in the courtyard were the bodies lying in various doorways or at the mouth of alleys. Ronon stepped into the square and checked the bodies scattered in front of him. 

As he kicked over one of the drones and double-checked that it was actually dead, a part of his mind realised he had lost count of how many Wraith he had killed, or even how long he had been hunting drones throughout the city. He shrugged as he checked the other bodies. 

"Good riddance," he muttered and jerked his head up when he heard the whine of Wraith weapons in the near-distance. 

Ronon made one last survey of the square, then ran down the alley in the direction of the fighting. A corner of his mind questioned how so many Wraith could still be in the city, but he no longer cared. It fed his need for revenge, and that's all that mattered. If the Wraith were willing to make themselves such easy targets, who was he to complain? 

He stopped a few paces from the end of the alley and peeked around the corner. A man ran from one of the buildings, shooting behind him as he tried to escape down a street. Three Wraith came out of the building and shot the man just as he reached the corner. 

"No!" Ronon yelled and opened fire on the Wraith soldiers. 

The Wraith turned on the new target and returned fire, hitting the building Ronon was using for cover. Stone and glass rained down on him as the Wraith closed on his position, and Ronon grimaced as he pulled a shard of glass out of his arm. When the Wraith stopped shooting, Ronon poked his head around the corner long enough to see two of the Wraith take cover in the doorway of a building. He wasn't sure where the third had gone, but he assumed it had to be close. 

Ronon took a couple of quick breaths, wiped a trickle of blood out of his eye, and ran across the street. He dropped the two Wraith hiding in the doorway and ducked behind a pile of debris when the remaining drone shot at him from the next building. Ronon aimed at that one as well but missed when the particle weapon sputtered. 

Ronon ducked for cover behind the pile of rubble as the Wraith countered and checked the charge for the particle weapon. He swapped the drained power cell for a fresh one and peeked around the edge of the pile of stone searching for the last Wraith soldier. He spotted the drone running down another alley, and Ronon charged after it. He ran into another square a few seconds later and froze when he realised he was back in the section of the city with the hospital. 

He didn't see any Wraith, lowered the particle weapon, and walked over to the remains of the hospital building. "How did I get back here?" he asked as he pressed his hand against the warm stone. 

He didn't want to be here. He didn't need the reminder that Melena was gone. He ducked his head and closed his eyes as the memory of her dying in front of him played in his head. 

The sound of stomping feet coming toward him brought him back to reality, and Ronon found cover behind the ruins of the hospital. The echoes made it difficult to know how many Wraith were heading toward him, but Ronon thought there had to be at least a dozen of the drones running toward the hospital. 

"Ronon," Sheppard said as Ronon raised the particle weapon and waited for the Wraith to come into range. 

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," Ronon growled as he stared out into the street.

"Can't do that," Sheppard said. 

A squad of Wraith ran into the square and opened fire when they spotted Ronon hiding in the rubble. Ronon fired back, grunting in satisfaction when he saw another drone drop to the ground. 

"Behind you," Sheppard said.

Ronon glanced behind him and spotted two more Wraith soldiers running around the end of the building. He shot both, then checked the positions of the rest of the squad in the square. 

"Thanks," he muttered. 

"You're welcome," Sheppard replied. "I get it, you know," he added as Ronon inched around the edge of the debris and saw another drone creeping up on his position. 

"Get what?" Ronon asked as he shot the Wraith. 

"Why you think you have to do this." 

Ronon said nothing and shot another Wraith soldier coming into the square.

"You aren't going to be able to keep this up forever, you know," Sheppard said. "There's too many of them." 

Ronon shrugged. "Then I take as many of them with me as I can." He picked off another Wraith and ducked back into the cover of the rubble as several more fired back at him. 

"Is that what she would want?" Sheppard asked. 

Ronon spun around and scowled at the spot where he thought the voice was coming from. "You don't know anything about Melena." 

"No, I don't," Sheppard admitted. "But I do know something about wanting revenge. Just hear me out. Please." 

A shot from one of the Wraith soldiers hit the pile of rubble Ronon was hiding behind, sending shards of stone flying in all directions. 

"I don't have time for this," Ronon growled at the disembodied voice. He wiped the blood off his face where the stone had cut him and returned fire.

"Do you remember being in a stone room?" Sheppard asked once the shooting stopped. "In Atlantis." 

Ronon shook his head and checked the remaining charge for the particle weapon. 

"There were cubicles along one wall and a pillar in the middle of the room," Sheppard said. 

Ronon poked his head above the rubble pile and quickly ducked back down when a beam from a Wraith weapon flew over his head. Despite the problem of the Wraith surrounding him, an image flashed in Ronon's memory. Sheppard, Teyla, Zelenka, all of them standing in a room staring at a glass compartment. There was someone trapped inside the narrow box … 

Another Wraith beam flew over his head and hit the side of the hospital. Ronon shot back, smiling to himself when he hit the drone square in the chest. He spotted two more Wraith hiding in a doorway kitty-corner to his location. Ronon kept low as he scrambled to a new position where he could pick them off. The rest of the squad was either dead or had run off, and Ronon leant his back against the pock-marked wall as he caught his breath. 

"The Wraith you're shooting at aren't real," Sheppard said. "This is all an elaborate trap." 

Ronon frowned. "What sort of trap?" 

Sheppard blew out a breath. "What you're seeing, it's all inside your head, thanks to an Ancient device McKay found." 

Ronon snorted, not at all surprised to learn the cause of the trouble was the result of something McKay had done. "So get McKay to fix it," Ronon told Sheppard with a grunt. "I'm busy." 

"It's not that simple," Sheppard replied. "Rodney --" 

"Got himself stuck inside something," Ronon finished as another flash of memory hit him. Now he could make out McKay's slack face washed out by a blue light inside the glassed-in box.

"Yes!" Sheppard replied. "And we all ended up trapped by the same thing." 

Ronon shook his head as he tried to wrap his mind around what the voice was telling him. Was it possible? he wondered. Was all of this nothing more than a trick? He glanced at the hospital, the memory of Melena disappearing in a wave of flame and heat hitting him again. That had been real. He knew that was real. He saw the same thing every night in his dreams. Melena standing in front of him as Ronon begged her to come with him to the portal. Then watching as she disappeared into the fire, powerless to save her. 

"Ronon!" a voice called from the middle of the square. 

The memory faded and Ronon scrubbed a hand over his face as he glanced over the top of the rubble. 

"Tyre?" Ronon called back. "I thought you'd left." 

"Not yet," Tyre replied. "We need to talk." 

Ronon stood and met Tyre in the middle of the square. "The Wraith --" he started to say with a wary glance at the nearby streets leading into the courtyard. 

"The Wraith will wait," Tyre interrupted. "We need to talk." 

Ronon surveyed the square, then holstered the particle weapon. "So talk."

"There's only one way you can stop this," Tyre told him. "You must answer your anger. Only then will you be free." 

Ronon crossed his arms over his chest. "I think I'm fine." 

"You are not fine," Tyre said. He waved a hand toward the dead Wraith lying in the square. "Does this look like someone who is fine?" 

"Ronon," Sheppard said, "don't listen to him." 

"Don't worry," Ronon replied as he glared at Tyre. 

"Anger isn't your problem," Sheppard told him. "You need to deal with your grief." 

"Killing Wraith is how I deal with both," Ronon said with a growl and turned his back on both Tyre and the disembodied voice of Sheppard. 

"Ronon, please," a new voice said, and Ronon felt a stab of anguish in his chest. "Your friend is right." 

Ronon spun around and froze. He was no longer in the square. He was no longer even in the city. Where a moment ago he was surrounded by rubble and destruction, now he stood at the edge of a calm lake. Trees swayed as a gentle breeze rippled the water, and the scent of jasmine and spice tickled his nose. 

Fingers grasped his hand, and Ronon smiled when he saw Melena standing next to him. "Melena? How?" 

Melena ignored the question as she stood facing the lake. "Do you remember this place?" she asked. 

Ronon nodded and followed as she led the way to the edge of the water. "We were going to build a house right over there," he said and pointed to the opposite side of the lake. "Melena," he started to say, but he felt his throat close as she looked up at him. 

"Your friend was right," Melena said. "You must answer your grief." 

Tears tracked down his cheeks, and Ronon pulled Melena into a tight embrace. "I made you a promise," he whispered. "I promised I would make the Wraith pay for killing you." 

Melena stepped back still holding his hand and wiped the tears from his face with her thumb. "Your life must be about more than just vengeance and killing Wraith," she told him. "There is still beauty in the universe." She waved a hand toward the lake. "And there are others who care about you now." She took his other hand and looked up at him. "You must answer your grief, my love. Please." 

Ronon looked down at Melena's hands clasped in his. "I," he started to say and swallowed the lump in his throat threatening to choke him. "I couldn't save you," he admitted and let go of her hands. "I miss you so much, and I couldn't save you." 

He turned away from her and stared at the lake, forcing himself to get his emotions under control. 

"What happened to me was not your fault," Melena said, and Ronon felt her hand on his back. "I chose to stay. I chose to do what I could for our people, just as you did." 

Ronon snorted. "Not sure how much I helped them in the end." 

He felt Melena's fingers as they traced along one of the scars on his back, and he twitched.

"You have suffered more than any man should," Melena whispered and retook his hand. "You have survived unimaginable horrors. You are strong, my love. Not just here," she squeezed his arm, "but here as well." She rested her free hand on his chest. "But for all of your strength, you do not need to carry the weight of my death. Answer your grief, Ronon. Let this burden go." 

Ronon stared at the lake as he let Melena's words sink in. He knew she was right. They had both stayed. They had both done what they could to help their people. It had been bad luck that a stray blast from a Wraith dart had hit that particular section of the hospital when it did. He wasn't sure if that made him feel much better about what happened, but Ronon could see now that Melena's death hadn't been his fault. 

Sunlight played across the water, dazzling his eyes. Ronon raised his free hand to shield his face and he blinked a few times to clear his vision. When he looked around again, the lake was gone, and he was back in the rubble-strewn remains of the city. 

"Ronon?" Tyre asked. 

Ronon turned and saw Tyre standing behind him. "There's nothing I could have done to save her," he admitted in a low voice. 

"No," Tyre agreed, "There wasn't." 

Ronon took a deep breath and nodded. 

"You have answered your grief," Tyre told him as he started to disappear. "May the release of your burden serve you well." 

"Doing okay?" Sheppard asked as Tyre vanished. 

Ronon shrugged. "Maybe," he replied. 

"Good. That's the point of all of this, I guess." 

Ronon grunted as he looked at the destruction all around them. He remembered villagers shunning him, or trying to trap him. He remembered the sadistic pleasure the Wraith took in hunting him and growled low in his throat. That was something no machine would ever heal. 

"Doesn't mean I'll stop killing Wraith," Ronon told Sheppard. 

"No, I wouldn't really expect you to," Sheppard replied, and Ronon thought he felt something brush his shoulder as the city faded around him.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Carson walked out of the med lab, a tablet computer in his free hand, and frowned when he saw Teyla sitting on the edge of her bed.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked. "I thought I told you you needed to rest." 

"I am feeling much better, Doctor Beckett," Teyla replied. She stood up, and Carson's frown deepened when he caught her supporting her weight with one hand on the bed. "You mentioned earlier that Colonel Sheppard had reentered the Ancestor's machine, has there been any news?" 

Carson set the tablet computer on the table at the end of the bed and shook his head. "I talked to Elizabeth an hour ago, letting her know you were awake, but I haven't heard anything since." 

Teyla nodded and took a step away from the bed. "I wish to return to the Ancestor's meditation room. There may be something I can do to assist Colonel Sheppard in freeing the others." 

"You don't think --" Carson started to say but was interrupted by the radio.

"Doctor Beckett? Please come in," he heard Sharon say. 

Carson gave Teyla a concerned glance as he tapped his earpiece. "Beckett here. Sharon? Is something the matter?" 

"I am getting strange readings from the alcoves holding Colonel Sheppard and Ronon," Sharon explained. "Doctor Weir asked me to call and have you standing by." 

"I'll be right there," he said and tapped off the radio. 

"What has happened?" Teyla asked. 

"I'm not certain," Carson replied. He walked back to his office and picked up the medical pack sitting on the desk. "Sharon thinks something may be wrong with Colonel Sheppard or Ronon." 

"I am coming with you," Teyla told him. 

Carson could tell from the set expression on her face that arguing with her would only waste more time. "Come on then," he replied and led the way out of the infirmary. 

Carson entered the meditation room a few minutes later, nodded to Thompson and Daley standing just inside the door, and looked around. Zelenka stood in front of one of the Ancient consoles, alternately pressing tiles then typing on a computer. Sharon paced in front of the line of alcoves. As Carson watched, she bent forward and peered at something on the panel in front of Ronon's compartment, shook her head, and made a note on the tablet computer she held in her hand. 

He set the medical pack against the wall near the door and stopped halfway between the alcoves and the pillar surrounded by consoles. He took a step toward the alcoves when Elizabeth stopped him. 

"Carson," Elizabeth said with a quick nod from where she stood next to another of the consoles. "I'm glad you're here. We might have a situation with Colonel Sheppard and Ronon." 

Carson walked over to the consoles with a frown. "What sort of situation?" 

"We're not really sure yet." She turned back to Radek and added, "What have you figured out?" 

Radek blew out a breath and looked first at Weir, then at Carson. "The good news is, I believe Colonel Sheppard is still connected to Ronon's alcove," he said, checking something on the computer.

"I thought there was no way to know who Colonel Sheppard would link to?" Carson asked. 

Radek turned to Carson. "There was not, not until Colonel Sheppard re-entered the machine," he explained. "Once he was sealed inside, Nurse Peterson noticed an anomaly in Ronon's EEG. There was a similar pattern in Colonel Sheppard's EEG. We are assuming that means they are sharing the same dream." 

Carson glanced at the two alcoves with a frown. "You said you thought Colonel Sheppard was _still_ connected to Ronon. What happened?" 

Zelenka looked back at the computer. "There was a ...glitch?" he said. "For a short time, it appeared as though the connection had been broken somehow." 

"But that's not what happened?" 

"No, no, I don't believe so," Radek said and pointed to the computer. "From these readings, the frequencies for Colonel Sheppard's compartment and Ronon's are still in sync." 

"Sharon?" Carson asked. He walked over to Ronon's alcove and held out his hand for Sharon's tablet computer. 

"The anomaly is still present for both Ronon and Colonel Sheppard," Sharon replied. 

"And this anomaly isn't present for Rodney?" 

"No," Sharon said. "Doctor McKay's pattern is completely different." 

Carson studied the reading for all three and noted the similarities between Sheppard and Ronon's readings. 

"So Colonel Sheppard is still inside Ronon's vision?" Teyla asked and Carson glanced back at Radek and Elizabeth near the consoles. 

Radek nodded. "As I said, that is the good news." 

"What is the bad news?" Teyla asked.

Zelenka nodded at Sharon, his expression grim.

"There was a significant spike in heart rate and blood pressure for both Ronon and Colonel Sheppard a few minutes ago," Sharon replied and turned to Carson. "That's when I called you." 

"And now?" Carson asked.

"Vitals are still elevated for both of them," Sharon replied. "And Colonel Sheppard's brain activity has changed. I'm still seeing theta waves, but the frequency has increased." 

"I see what you mean," he said as he bent forward and checked the data recorded on the transparent panel. "They can't take much more of this." 

"Carson?" Elizabeth asked. 

Carson stood and turned around. "From what I can tell, Colonel Sheppard's body is under a tremendous amount of stress. Ronon as well. We need to get them out of these bloody boxes." 

"We're working on that," Elizabeth said and glanced at Radek. 

"I am not sure there is anything else I can do," Zelenka admitted. "As I said to Colonel Sheppard, Rodney is much better at intuitively understanding Ancient technology." 

"Do the best you can," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, yes, of course," Radek replied and went back to his study of the console. 

It was another ten minutes, and Carson was contemplating returning to the infirmary when Sharon looked up from Ronon's alcove. 

"Doctor Beckett? Ronon's readings are changing again," she said. "I think something is happening." 

Carson and Teyla exchanged a worried glance, then walked over to the line of consoles. "Let me see," he said and stopped in front of Ronon's alcove. "Vitals are levelling off," he murmured. 

Sharon nodded. "Alpha waves are increasing, too." 

Carson glanced behind him and spotted Thompson standing just inside the door. "Derek, lad, I think we're going to need your assistance here in a moment." 

"Doc?" Thompson said as he walked over to the alcoves. 

"Ronon may be --" Carson started to explain, but was interrupted by the panel on Ronon's alcove sliding open. "-- waking up!" he exclaimed even as Thompson caught Dex's limp body as he fell out of the compartment. 

"Daley!" Thompson called, and grunted as he bent and laid Ronon on the floor in front of the alcove. "Get ready to help Sheppard." 

"Yes, Sergeant," Daley replied as the other panel opened. 

"Oomph," Carson heard from behind him and turned to see Radek adjust his hold on one of Sheppard's arms. Daley took his other arm, and together they eased Sheppard to the floor. 

"Easy, Colonel," Zelenka said. Sheppard slumped on the floor with his back braced against the alcove wall. "You are free of the device now." 

"Sharon," Carson directed with a nod of his head at Sheppard as he turned back to Ronon. 

Carson checked Ronon's pulse and made sure his airway was clear then looked up at Thompson. "I need the medical kit, the portable oxygen, and a gurney." 

"On it," Thompson replied. 

A moment later, Thompson set the pack and the portable oxygen on the floor next to Carson. 

"Thompson to the infirmary," Carson heard as Thompson walked out of the room. 

"What can I do to help?" Elizabeth asked as she knelt on Ronon's other side. 

"Get this mask on him," Carson said as he handed over the oxygen mask, then opened the medical kit and pulled out a stethoscope. 

"Good lung sounds," Carson muttered. "Heart rate still fast but getting better." He leant forward and checked Ronon's eyes. "Pupils are even." 

"Carson?" Elizabeth said. 

Carson checked the pressure for the oxygen tank, then turned to Weir. "Based on what I know from Colonel Sheppard and Teyla's experience, Ronon should be fine. I'll run the same tests, but I think he just needs to sleep off the remaining sedative." 

"Med-tech is here," Thompson announced as David pushed a gurney into the room. 

Carson stood back as David pushed the gurney over to Ronon's side and lowered it. 

Thompson stepped forward and gripped Ronon under the shoulders. "One. Two. Three," he murmured as he and David lifted Dex onto the gurney. 

"Get him situated and tell Doctor Cortes to take the same samples as we did for Sheppard and Teyla." Carson glanced at Sheppard who half-sat against the alcove wall, Teyla sitting beside him. "Once you have Ronon back in the infirmary, I'll need you to bring another gurney for Colonel Sheppard." 

"Right away, Doctor Beckett," David replied as he pushed Ronon's gurney out of the room. 

Elizabeth studied Sheppard for a moment then gestured to Zelenka. "Radek, maybe we should give Carson some space." 

"Yes, of course," Radek replied and stepped back. "I'll just …" He pointed at the console. "I'll see if there is a way to further refine the algorithm for connecting two compartments." 

Elizabeth nodded to Beckett. "Take care of him, Carson." 

Carson nodded and stepped over to John's side. "Sharon, how is Colonel Sheppard doing?" he asked as he knelt next to Teyla. 

"I'm fine," Sheppard mumbled through the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. 

Carson noted Sheppard never opened his eyes and Teyla pursed her lips as she glanced at him before turning back to Sheppard. 

"You should go to the infirmary," Teyla told him. "You are exhausted." 

"O2 levels are low," Sharon said to Carson. "And Teyla is right, he needs rest." 

"I have David coming back with another gurney," Carson said as he took Sheppard's wrist and checked his pulse. 

"No," Sheppard replied. He pulled his arm out of Carson's grip and tried to push the mask off his face. 

"Colonel, you need --" Teyla started to say. 

Sheppard shook his head and pulled off the mask. "How long?" Sheppard asked with a glance at Teyla and then Carson. "This time," he clarified as Carson gave him a blank look. "How long?" 

Carson glanced at his watch. "A little over an hour." 

"Need to get McKay out," Sheppard said. "Before it's too late." He tried to stand, but Teyla stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

"You need to worry about yourself," Carson told him, but Sheppard shook his head as he pulled out of Teyla's hold. 

"He's been in there almost six hours, Carson," John said. "How much longer can he wait?" 

Carson sighed and ducked his head. "I don't know," he admitted with a glance at Rodney trapped behind the transparent panel. "But right now, you are in no shape to help him." He took the mask from Sheppard's hand and resettled it over John's nose and mouth. "And I think you know that." 

John glared at him over the top of the mask, but Carson noticed he didn't try to fight them. 

"We'll figure out a way to rescue Rodney," Carson promised as Sheppard's eyes drifted shut. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney swallowed down his claustrophobic panic as he stared up at the sealed hatch. This isn't happening, he told himself as the Genii soldier grabbed his arm and pulled him down the poorly-lit corridor. Someone in Atlantis had to know he was missing. That Sheppard and the others were dead. He swallowed again. Surely Elizabeth would send someone to look for them, him, wouldn't she?

"Your first task will be perfecting our nuclear bombs," Kolya said as he followed Rodney and the soldier dragging him down the hall. "Once we have a number of such weapons, few planets will challenge our authority." 

"I already told you, I won't work for the Genii," Rodney growled. He stopped short and pulled his arm out of the soldier's grip. "You and I both know Atlantis will be looking for me."

Kolya smiled. "While that may be true, Doctor Weir has no idea where you are. No, there won't be any last-minute rescue this time, Doctor McKay." Kolya pulled the knife from his belt and held it up in the dim light. 

Rodney stared at the knife as the light glinted off the serrated blade. 

Kolya stepped forward, the knife still in one hand. He gave Rodney a cruel smile and the Genii soldiers surrounding them fell back. "Which means you have a choice," he said and stopped in front of Rodney. "You can choose the easy path, where you do what you're told, and you don't get hurt. Or," he pushed Rodney against the wall and braced his forearm across Rodney's throat. "Or you can choose the hard way. Shall we see if you can last to five cuts again?" 

Black spots filled Rodney's vision. He was sure he was about to pass out when Kolya released him and stepped back. Rodney bent forward and tried to catch his breath even as he glared up at Kolya. 

"Take him to the lab," Kolya ordered the soldier standing beside Rodney. "If he hasn't made any progress in the next two hours, feel free to encourage him." Kolya fingered the blade of the knife, and the soldier nodded. 

The soldier grabbed Rodney's arm again and pulled him down the hall. "I suggest you get to work," the soldier said with an evil grin as he shoved Rodney into a dingy room a few minutes later. 

Rodney waited until the door was closed and he heard the clunk of a lock, then turned in a slow circle. The room was half the size of his lab in Atlantis and none too clean. A large, bulky device sat on a table across the room, and Rodney recognised the design as the Genii version of a nuclear weapon. The top was missing from the housing, and Rodney glanced at the inner working of the bomb as he wandered over to the sink and counter against the back wall of the room. He picked up what looked like the housing one of the bomb's components and shook his head. 

"You're probably being exposed to lethal doses of radiation just standing in the same room with that thing," he muttered to himself with a glare at the bomb and tried to remember what the symptoms were for radiation sickness. 

Rodney dropped the component back on the counter and looked around the rest of the room. If Sheppard was dead, Rodney choked at the thought but pressed on, if no one in Atlantis was looking for him, then he would just have to find a way out of the Genii bunker on his own. He knew where the stargate was in relation to the village he had seen in the distance. If he could make it to the 'gate, there were any number of planets he could gate to and hopefully stay ahead of Kolya long enough to contact Atlantis. 

He walked over to the door and ran his hands over the metal surface. The door opened outward, which was to his advantage, but he couldn't see the hinges. 

"All right, so the easy solution is out," Rodney muttered to himself. 

He studied the doorframe next and decided the door was at least five centimeters thick. He had no idea what sort of lock was on the other side, but he realised it didn't matter. If he wanted to escape, he would need to find some way to blow the door out of the frame. 

"Could they have been that stupid?" Rodney wondered and glanced over at the bomb as the beginnings of a plan started to form in his head. 

He found a scattering of tools on the table, carefully removed the timing and targeting systems from the top of the bomb, then peered down into the main section of the housing. There were no rods inside the housing, which was a relief. Unfortunately, there wasn't any explosive material he could use on the door either. 

"Okay, so maybe not entirely stupid, then," he said. While he was relieved to know he wouldn't die of radiation poisoning, it also meant he wouldn't be able to use the rest of the bomb to escape from the room and the Genii. "So what do you have?" he asked as he looked around the room. 

He cleared off the heavy wooden work table in the middle of the room then spent the next hour in a thorough exploration of the lab. Anything that might be of use he piled on the table, including the tools, the bomb components, and some copper piping. He pulled open the doors for a cabinet against the back wall and found several shelves with a number of metal containers pushed against the back of the cabinet. 

"Finally, some luck," he muttered with a grim smile as he tried to decipher the writing on the various canisters.

He opened one of the containers and nearly gagged on the smell of rotten eggs. "If there's some potassium nitrate in here, you would have the basics for gunpowder," he muttered as he set the canister of sulphur to one side. 

He opened more containers but didn't find anything that could be the potassium he needed. What he did find was a small metal block stored inside a flat box shoved into a corner of the cabinet. He stared at the block for a few seconds, unwilling to believe his luck. He picked up the block, weighed it in his hand, then picked up a screwdriver and carefully broke a tiny piece off one corner of the block. 

"Smaller," he muttered. "If this is what you think it is, you don't need Kolya barging in here when he hears the bang." 

Rodney shaved an even smaller piece off the block, placed the shaving in the top of one of the containers, and set the top in the far corner of the room. He smiled when he tried the sink, and a trickle of water flowed out of the faucet. He filled a small beaker, walked over to the corner where he'd left the container top and the shaving, and with one last glance at the door, poured a bit of the water into the top and stepped back several paces. 

A few seconds later, there was a satisfying bang as the sodium reacted with the water. Rodney looked over at the door and smiled. 

"Not enough to damage the door," he said with a glance from the small block to the metal door. "But there might be a way to blow the door off the frame." 

He heard the lock thrown on the other side of the door and hurried back to the work table. He had the screwdriver in one hand and a random component for the bomb in the other by the time the door opened and a different Genii soldier stood in the doorway. Rodney looked up, plastered an annoyed expression on his face, and memorised where the hinges for the door were located in relation to the frame. 

Rodney dropped the screwdriver and scowled at the soldier. "This would go a lot faster without the interruptions," he growled. 

"There was a report of a loud noise coming from this lab," the soldier said and took a step into the room. 

Rodney pursed his lips. He had known the sound of his test would carry, but he had hoped the Genii would ignore it. "Yes, well, that," he pointed at the nuclear device, "is heavier than it looks." 

The soldier studied him for a few seconds, and Rodney glared back. The soldier took another step into the room, and Rodney knew he had to do something before the soldier spotted the chemicals on the counter behind him. 

"Commander Kolya wants a progress report," the soldier said. 

Rodney snorted. "I've been here barely an hour. I'm good, but even I need more time than that to perform miracles." 

The soldier glared and reached for the knife on his belt. 

Rodney ordered himself to ignore the threat. "Do you see this?" He held up the timing mechanism for the bomb. "Do you know what it is?" 

The soldier shook his head. 

"Yes, well, whoever designed it apparently didn't know either," Rodney replied. "If Kolya wants his precious bombs, I need to be left alone to work." 

The soldier studied him a moment longer, then stepped back into the corridor. "I'll inform Commander Kolya of your progress so far." 

"Fine, whatever. Just leave me alone." 

Rodney waited until the door was closed and the bolt was thrown again, then set to work. He pushed the components for the bomb to the other side of the table and picked up the block of sodium. He spent the next few minutes breaking off pieces of the metal until he had three chunks that were roughly the same size. He lined the chunks along the edge of the table and nodded as he put the rest of the sodium metal back in the box. 

"How are you going to get them wet?" he asked himself as he sorted through the contents of the cabinet. 

He would need something that would give him at least a few seconds to find cover, and still allow the reaction to happen at about the same time for each of the sodium pieces. 

"Cloth might work," he muttered and pulled off his jacket. 

The outer shell was water-resistant, but the inner lining was thin cotton. It took some effort, but Rodney managed to rip the lining at a seam and tore enough of the lining out of the coat to make three small pouches for the sodium. He found the stub of a candle in a drawer along with a box of matches and melted the candle into a puddle on the work table. 

He hissed as he used his fingers to smear the hot wax on the top of each of the pouches to seal them, and used another blob of wax to stick the cloth balls to the doorframe where he remembered the hinges were located. 

"All right," Rodney muttered. "Here goes nothing." 

He found a large beaker in the cabinet, filled it at the sink, then drenched each of the cloth balls, and hurried back to the work table. He crawled under the table, stuck his fingers in his ears and waited. After several seconds when nothing happened, Rodney glanced at the door, debating whether or not he should try dousing the balls again when the first ball exploded with a deafening bang. 

Two more explosions reverberated around the room in quick succession and Rodney ducked back down under the table, feeling the explosions in his chest as he covered his head. As the echo died away, Rodney poked his head above the table and started coughing as smoke filled the room. He stood up from his crouched position behind the work table and stared at where the door had been. The sodium had done an even better job than he'd hoped. The remains of the metal door lay in the corridor, and the doorframe had splintered where the hinges had been. 

"Run," he ordered himself. 

He couldn't hear anything thanks to the ringing in his ears, but he assumed Kolya or someone would be coming soon to investigate what had happened. Rodney made one last check of the doorway, waiting to see if the guard showed up, then covered his nose and mouth with his shirt, and ran for the door.


	7. Chapter 7

The rattle of wheels in the hallway woke John from a light doze. His eyes popped open, and he frowned when he realised he'd been asleep. Why was he sleeping on the floor in a strange room? he wondered as he looked around the room, trying to remember why he was there. 

Thompson stood by the door, looking down the hall. Zelenka, Elizabeth, and Beckett stood near a pillar surrounded by consoles. As John watched, Radek pressed a few tiles on the console, then checked the computer and nodded to Elizabeth. 

"Everything is all right," Teyla said. "It is only Doctor Beckett's assistant returning." 

John glanced over at her. "What …" He started to ask but stopped when he saw Rodney standing inside the alcove behind her with his eyes closed. 

Ancient device, John reminded himself, and McKay was still trapped inside it. He pulled off the oxygen mask and pushed himself more upright as one of the med techs entered the room, pushing a gurney. 

"How do you feel?" Teyla asked softly. 

John shrugged. "Does it matter? We still need to get Rodney out of that thing," he replied with a glance at the next alcove. He started to stand, but stopped when Teyla grasped his arm.

"Perhaps it would be best --" Teyla started to say, but was interrupted by Carson. 

"David, there you are," Beckett said to the tech. "What took you so long?" 

"Major Lorne's team ran into some trouble off-world," David replied as he stopped the gurney just inside the door. "Doctor Cortes needed some help dealing with the, umm, consequences." 

John saw the worry in Beckett's eyes before Carson schooled his features and walked over to David. "Were there any serious injuries?" 

David shook his head. "Nothing like that. They were meeting with a local population on P7X-449, and I guess there was something in the food or drink …" He hesitated, and John thought he was trying very hard not to smile. 

"Well? Spit it out, man," Carson ordered. 

"Umm, they appear to be, umm, well, drunk." 

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked and walked over to the huddle near the door. 

"Major Lorne's team ran afoul of some local cuisine," Carson told her. "How sick are they?" he asked David. 

David shook his head. "They aren't so much ill as really, really happy. That's why Doctor Cortes needed help. Corporal Resnik kept trying to leave the infirmary, saying he felt great, and Sergeant McNair insisted on showing one of the nurses one of the dances he had learned while visiting the planet." 

Elizabeth frowned. "Maybe I should go see if Major Lorne is in any condition to tell me what happened," she said with a glance at Rodney's alcove. "You will let me know if anything changes here?" she asked Beckett. 

Carson nodded, and with one last look at the consoles and the alcove, Elizabeth left the room. 

"What about Ronon?" Carson asked once Weir was gone. 

"With everything going on with Major Lorne's team, Doctor Cortes hadn't had much time to run the tests you wanted," David replied. "When I left, she was talking to Dana about taking blood samples, and Ronon was still unconscious." 

Carson pursed his lips at that news. "I was afraid of that," John heard him mutter under his breath even as he directed David and the gurney over to the alcoves. "Derek, lad, if you would give David a hand," he said and stood in front of Rodney's alcove. "While it sounds a little chaotic over there, Colonel Sheppard would be better off in the infirmary, I think, than here." 

David stopped a few feet away from John and lowered the gurney. Thompson took a step forward but hesitated when John pinned him with a glare. 

"No," John said to Beckett. 

Carson frowned and knelt next to John. "We've already been over this, Colonel. You need to be in the infirmary." 

John jerked his thumb at the alcove behind Teyla and once again started to stand. "McKay --" 

Carson held John in place with his good hand and glanced up at McKay's compartment. "Rodney appears stable enough for the moment," he said to John, "unlike you. I'm sure Radek will find a way to get him out of there." 

John noted where Thompson and David were standing then turned to Beckett. "There's something else we need to consider," he muttered in a low voice that only Carson and Teyla could hear and tapped his temple.

"You believe you will be able to use the mental link to help Rodney?" Teyla guessed in a whisper. 

John looked at her and nodded. "If this," John scowled at the alcove, "machine was supposed to help Ancients to ascend, it's worth a shot." 

"How could --" Carson started to ask, and John hissed at him when he noticed Zelenka watching them. Beckett glanced over at Zelenka, then back down at John. "How could the link possibly help in this situation?" he asked in a lower tone. 

"I have no idea," John admitted. "But we're running out of options here. You said Ronon was still out?" 

Carson pursed his lips and nodded. 

"That's not good," John muttered. "Teyla and I both woke up soon after we were released from those things." John thumped the side of the alcove with a fist. "If Ronon is still unconscious after only a few hours inside the machine, you know it's going to be worse for McKay." 

"I understand your concern, Colonel --" 

"Good, glad we agree," John interrupted and this time succeeded in pulling himself to his feet. He braced one hand on the side of the empty alcove next to Rodney and silently ordered the room to stop swaying around him. 

"That's not what I meant," Carson said with a frown. 

"If you have a better idea, now's the time," John said, and handed Teyla the oxygen mask. 

"I'll go," Carson offered, and stepped toward the nearest alcove. 

John stopped Beckett with a hand on his arm. "Not going to happen," he said. 

"And just why not?" Carson asked with a scowl. "We've been over this before, Colonel. You are not the only one who worries about him." 

John took a deep breath and met Carson's eye. "One, you are a civilian and an injured one at that," he told Beckett with a nod at the sling. "It's my job to take risks, not yours." 

Carson started to interrupt, but John held up a hand. "Two, I've already done this twice. I know what I'm doing." 

Carson huffed out a breath and John smiled. "Okay, I sort of know what I'm doing." He lowered his voice and added, "That's why I'm hoping the link will help. Maybe this trip won't take so long." 

"I can still --" Beckett tried again, but John spoke over him. 

"And three, you're needed more out here." John rested a hand on Carson's shoulder. "I'm counting on you to be able to deal with whatever shape McKay is in once he's out of that thing." 

Carson held his glare for a moment longer, then stepped back. "All right, Colonel. You win." 

John nodded and placed a foot inside the alcove next to Rodney.

"But I'm not happy about this," Carson added. "You're risking your own health by doing this." 

John shrugged and stepped into the alcove. "Part of my job," he replied and squinted as the blue light came on over his head. 

He could tell Beckett was not pleased, and knew he'd get an earful once he had Rodney free of the machine, but this needed to be done, and John didn't trust anyone else to do it. He glanced over at Zelenka standing at the consoles. "Whenever you're ready, Doc." 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney ran through the blown open door for the lab, and half-blinded from the smoke, felt for the nearest wall. He spent several precious seconds coughing and trying to catch his breath as he squinted up and down the corridor trying to decide which way to go and listening to make sure no Genii were heading toward him. He needed to move, he knew. There was no point in breaking out of one prison just for Kolya and his goons to lock him in another.

He ducked his head away from the smoke, sucked in a few deep breaths, then pushed off the wall and headed for the nearest corner. Once the Genii discovered he had escaped the lab, it wasn't going to take a genius to figure out he would be looking for the nearest exit and a way back to the stargate. He needed to find the hatch and gain as much of a head start as he could. Something told him if the Genii caught him again, his next cell wouldn't be a lab. 

Rodney was almost to the junction at the end of the hall when he heard running feet coming from the hallway in front of him. The corridor he was in was completely open, no nooks or places where he could hide. He tried the nearest door and felt his heart speed up when he found it locked. The next door he tried was also locked, and he was getting desperate as the stomping came closer. 

"Come on, come on," he muttered as he tried a third door and blew out a breath of relief when it opened at his touch. 

For a split second, he considered what else might be in the room, but by then the running feet were at the junction, and there was no more time. Rodney dove through the door and pushed it almost shut as several Genii soldiers ran past him. None of them gave his cracked-open door a second glance as they ran toward the lab, and Rodney closed his eyes in relief. Once the soldiers were past him, he started to open the door, intent on making a run for it, when a voice in his head told him to wait. 

"Not yet," he told himself in a tone that sounded much like Sheppard. "There's always one more." 

Sure enough, another Genii soldier strolled down the corridor in the direction of the lab. He was tall, almost as tall as Ronon, and the uniform this one wore was different from the soldiers Rodney had watched run past him. He followed the soldiers, swinging what looked like a riding crop in one hand. 

Rodney waited until he heard the man stop walking, then cracked open the door a little more and looked down the hall.

The new arrival stopped outside the lab, glancing at the warped door and the splintered door frame. 

Was he some kind of officer? Rodney wondered as he peeked through the crack and watched as the newcomer turned to the nearest soldier.

"Well?" the man demanded, his voice deceptively calm.

"Major Kallen, sir," the soldier replied. He clicked his heels and bobbed his head. "It would seem that the prisoner has escaped," the soldier finished, and Rodney saw him gulp. 

Kallen slapped the riding crop against one leg as he stared at the hapless soldier. "I can see that, Leftenant. What I want to know is how he escaped."

"Umm, we're not sure, sir," the Leftenant replied. "It-it appears the door was blown off its frame somehow." 

Kallen raised the riding crop and Rodney cringed along with the soldier when it appeared Kallen was going to hit the Genii soldier. 

"Major," another of the soldiers said and stepped out of the lab. 

Kallen held his glare on the leftenant in front of him, then lowered his arm and turned to the soldier standing in the doorway. 

"We found this, sir," the soldier said and held out his hand.

Rodney winced as he realised the Genii had found the leftover sodium metal he'd left in the open cabinet. 

Kallen glanced at the small block in the soldier's hand and turned back to the hapless leftenant. "I left strict orders that all chemicals were to be removed from this room before the prisoner arrived," Kallen said and scowled, first at the leftenant and then the soldier still holding the sodium. "Commander Kolya will hear of this," he added. "I assure you, he will not be pleased." 

Rodney pushed the door almost closed as Kallen turned and marched back up the corridor toward him. He watched through the crack as the two soldiers exchanged a fearful look before following him. The rest of the Genii soldiers with them kept their distance as the group marched past Rodney's hiding place, turned the corner, and disappeared down another hallway. 

Rodney counted to fifty in his head, then slowly opened the door and peered up and down the hallway. He didn't see anyone or hear any more footsteps. With a last glance at the lab, he crept to the junction and turned down the opposite corridor from Kallen and the group of soldiers. 

The new corridor didn't look much different from the hall with the lab. The light was still dim, and the few doors he tried were all locked. Rodney reached another junction and stopped a few paces from the end of his corridor, listening hard. When he didn't hear any sounds of marching or people talking, he crept forward and peeked around the corner. 

"Great," he muttered when he saw another row of endless doors. "Why weren't you paying attention when you were brought through here before," he berated himself. "You know Sheppard or Ronon would both have found the way out by now." He glanced up and down the hallway again and took a deep breath. "All right, think," he ordered himself. "Try to remember." 

Rodney closed his eyes and focused on recalling the series of turns he had made on the way to the lab. He didn't remember many, and he hoped that meant the hatch wasn't that far away from the lab. A few seconds later, he blew out a breath. "It's no use," he muttered and chose a direction at random. 

He heard stomping feet, sometimes ahead of him, other times behind him, as he aimlessly wandered the bunker's corridors. Luckily the footsteps usually faded a few seconds later. The few times the soldiers seemed to be in the same hallway, Rodney had found a room with an open door where he could hide until the soldiers were past him. He eventually found the hatch by accident more than anything else. He turned a corner and was about to curse his bad luck at finding a dead-end when he looked up and saw the hatch at the top of a short ladder. 

"Finally," he muttered and hurried to the end of the hall. 

Rodney had one foot on the first rung of the ladder when he stopped to consider if this was all some sort of trap. Had this all been a test? Kolya wanting to see what he would do when left alone? Even Rodney could see that getting caught while clinging to a ladder wasn't the most defensible position to be found in if any Genii soldiers were to enter the corridor. 

He let go of the ladder and crept back down the hall until he found a junction. He checked the hallway in both directions, and when he didn't see anyone or hear anything nearby, Rodney nodded to himself and ran back to the ladder. He climbed up and gripped the wheel with one hand, while he kept a precarious hold on the ladder with the other. It took a few tries, but the wheel finally gave, and he spun it until it stopped then pushed the hatch upward. The metal squealed as the hatch opened and Rodney winced at the noise. 

Late afternoon sunlight poured down into the hole, blinding him after so long in the dim hallways of the bunker. Rodney ducked his head and squinted against the bright light as he scrambled up the last few rungs of the ladder. He stepped off the ladder, blinking against the sunlight as he tried to get his bearings. 

"The stargate is south of the village," he told himself as he looked in the direction he thought was south and shaded his eyes with one hand. "Find the village, and you know where the stargate is." His vision cleared, and Rodney looked around, hoping to see the cluster of buildings in the near distance. 

"What the hell?" He said as he stared in amazement. Instead of the countryside of the Genii planet, Rodney found himself standing in one of the hallways in Atlantis. "How did …" He spun in a circle, then ran a hand over the nearest wall. 

The wall felt like the walls in Atlantis. He held his breath, and listening hard, heard the low-level hum he associated with the city. Rodney hurried to the end of the hallway and blew out a breath when he saw the ocean out the large window.

"Okay, you're really in Atlantis," Rodney muttered to himself and brushed a hand along the wall as he walked. He spotted a transporter at the end of the hall and walked faster. "Find Sheppard and Elizabeth," he told himself. "Find out what's going on and why you were daydreaming in the middle of the hallway."

He was inside the transporter and had tapped the section of the map for the control room before he remembered he was alone in the city. The Wraith were closing in on Atlantis, he needed to fix the city's cloak, and he'd been left behind with no way to escape. The last vestiges of Kolya and the Genii homeworld faded as he stepped out of the transporter and hurried into the silent control room. He double-checked the sensors and blew out a breath of relief when he found the Wraith were no closer to the planet. 

"All right, there's still plenty of time to get the cloak fixed," he told himself. He hesitated for a moment as he left the control room but shook off the weird feeling of déjà vu and headed for the generator room. 

It had been one of his better ideas to store the cloaking generator in the same room with one of the new naquadah generators the Daedalus had brought out from Earth. Rodney had worked out the math, and while the upgraded power generator wouldn't power the shield for more than a few seconds, it would be enough to keep the city cloaked if there ever was an issue with the Zed-PM. The room was near the control tower, another thing he had insisted upon, so if there ever were an emergency, it would only be a matter of a few seconds to switch the cloak over to the backup power supply. 

It was an excellent idea until he remembered there were no tools or spare parts in the room and he would still need to go down to his lab first before he could start any repairs on the generator.

"Not like you're in a hurry or anything," he grumbled as he about-faced and walked back to the transporter. 

Rodney tried not to think about how unnerving it was to wander through the city when it was so empty. Even in the dead of night, Marines stood guard outside the Zed-PM room and the armoury, not to mention the scientists roaming the halls at all hours. Rodney entered the lab, found his tools, grabbed the few spare parts he had for the cloaking generator, stuffed it all in a backpack, and walked back to the transporter. He was working out possible scenarios for what could be wrong with the cloaking generator and how he could fix each one when he walked into the generator room a minute later and stopped short. 

"This cannot be happening," he growled as he hurried over to the disassembled cloaking generator sitting on a table against the wall. 

Abandoned in the city with no way to leave, and now the generator was in pieces? That was too much coincidence for him to swallow. 

"All right, Sheppard, you can come out now," Rodney yelled at the room with a scowl on his face. "Very funny. Scare the genius. Ha-ha." 

He turned in a slow circle and waited for John to step out of a corner of the room with that goofy look on his face. Rodney gave himself even odds Dex would be with him, and the pair of them would be grinning, thinking they had pulled off a massive prank. His impatience bled back to fear when there was no answer, and he realised he really was alone. 

"Fine," he muttered as he shrugged off the backpack. "I'll just solve all the problems myself, per usual." 

He found a stool pushed into the corner, pulled it over to the table with the generator, and sat down. He dug his tools and the spare parts out of the pack and set to work sorting the components into various piles, checking them over one by one. The good news was, none of the pieces appeared to be broken. Someone had just decided to have a good time and take the cloaking generator apart. 

When he found the person responsible … Rodney thought with an angry huff, and picked up one of the components. He debated whether he should send the scientist responsible for the destruction back to Earth or just have Sheppard shoot him as he slotted the component back into place inside the generator housing. Of course, first, he'd have to survive the Wraith about to attack the city and then find Sheppard wherever he had disappeared to. 

"Fix the cloaking generator, McKay. Keep the ten-thousand-year-old city running, McKay. We need this impossible thing done yesterday. Better get McKay," Rodney grumbled as he worked. "And oh, by the way, we're going just to leave you here while we all head for the nearest alpha site." 

"Hey, McKay," Sheppard said, startling Rodney as he reached for the power coupler. 

Rodney jerked upright and stared around the room. "Sheppard?" he said. When after a few seconds he didn't see anyone, he turned back to the generator. "Great, now I'm hearing things," he muttered. "Maybe that's it, I've finally gone nuts, and this is all a figment of my imagination." 

"Actually, you aren't exactly wrong," John said. 

Rodney started at the unexpected reply. "If this is some sort of joke, it's really not funny," he growled as he jumped from the stool, put his back to the nearest wall, and stared around the room again, brandishing the screwdriver still in his hand. 

"Nope, not a joke," John replied. 

"Where are you? Why can't I see you?" 

"That's what I need to talk to you about." 

Rodney stepped away from the wall and glared at the spot where he thought Sheppard's voice was coming from. "Not sure there is any reason you can give that would explain leaving me here. What happened to that no one left behind rule of yours?" 

"Come on, Rodney," Sheppard said. "Do you really think I would evacuate the entire city but leave you here?" 

Rodney dropped the screwdriver on the work table, crossed one arm over his chest and rubbed his head with his other hand as he looked everywhere but the spot in front of him. There was a spiteful corner of his mind that absolutely could believe he would be abandoned again. Wouldn't be the first time, he told himself. 

"You and Radek found a device in one of the labs earlier today. Do you remember that?" John asked. 

Rodney shook his head. "What are you talking about? I've been … here …" He saw a flash of a room with several consoles and a pillar made of stained glass. "I've been right …" He glanced at the half-reassembled cloaking generator. 

"Rodney, nothing you see here is real," John said. "This is all something created in your mind by that Ancient device you found." 

Rodney ducked his head and felt the headache building the more Sheppard talked. "Why? What would be the point?" 

"I have a theory --" 

"Oh, this should be good," Rodney muttered. 

"McKay," Sheppard growled. 

"Sorry, I've just spent most of the day thinking I'd …" He stopped short with a sideways glance at the middle of the room. 

"Been abandoned again?" John finished for him. 

Rodney rubbed the back of his head again. He'd been fine up until a few minutes ago, before Sheppard … 

Rodney looked up with a frown. "What's wrong with you? My head started pounding soon after you decided to …" He waved a hand at the empty space in front of him. 

"Don't worry about it," John replied. "We need to deal with your problem first." 

"My problem?" Rodney retorted. "My problem is I'm trapped in an empty city with no way to escape and the Wraith due to arrive any moment now. Any bright ideas on what to do about that?" Rodney waited a beat, then added, "Didn't think so. So you may as well tell me what's wrong with you." 

"It's been a long day," John replied, and Rodney snorted. 

"Tell me about it." 

"Do you want to hear my theory about all of this or not?" John asked. 

Rodney plopped down on the stool and rubbed his head. "Sure, why not," he replied with a tired sigh.

"I think that device you found was meant to help the Ancients deal with their negative emotions so they could ascend." 

Rodney dropped his hand and stared at the space in front of him. "So, what? You can't ascend until you sing Kumbaya or something?" he asked and didn't bother to hide his sarcasm. 

"Something like that, yeah," John replied, and Rodney distinctly heard the pain in John's voice this time along with the impatience. "You're telling me there isn't some tiny part of yourself that doesn't wonder if I'll abandon you just like your parents and sister?"

Rodney opened his mouth to deny John's accusation but snapped it shut a moment later. While he trusted John and knew Sheppard would never leave him behind if he could help it, there was still that niggle of doubt at the back of his mind. That little voice telling him if it happened once, it could happen again. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought," John said, and now Rodney thought he heard disappointment in Sheppard's tone. 

"I don't," Rodney started to say and stopped. "I know," he tried again and ducked his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath. "I trust you," he said in a tiny voice. "I do."

"You sure about that?" 

Rodney looked up with a frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The whole point of the machine is for you to come to terms with whatever is bugging you," John said. "It isn't me you need to convince. It's yourself." 

Rodney picked up the screwdriver and twisted it in his hand. Could he do that? he wondered. Could he let go of the past hurts and accept that John, not to mention Carson, Elizabeth, and so many others would watch his back rather than stab him in it when he wasn't looking? 

He thought about the cave-in during their first trip through the 'gate as a team and John coming after him even though they barely knew each other at that point. John sticking by him after the transformer explosion had blinded him. John and Ronon showing up in the nick of time after Alex Vance had kidnapped him, and then both of them standing by him when Woolsey and his bureaucratic committee wanted to ground him on Earth. 

Sheppard could have left him to deal with any of those situations on his own, but he hadn't. He had always come after him. He hadn't left Rodney alone to fend for himself. 

Rodney put down the screwdriver and stood. "Yeah," he said with a smile. "I'm sure." 

"Good," John replied. "Let's get out of here then." 

"It's that simple?" Rodney asked and walked toward the door. 

"Should be." 

Rodney nodded and stepped through the door … Only to find himself standing in a wide grassy field. He turned in a slow circle, saw a forest in one direction and an open hatch in the ground not far away from him. As soon as he spotted the hatch, Rodney knew where he was. Unfortunately, as soon as he realised he was back on the Genii homeworld, he heard shouting behind him. 

"There he is!" someone yelled. 

"Remember Commander Kolya wants him alive," another voice shouted. 

Rodney spun around and saw a group of Genii soldiers climbing out of the open hatch and running in his direction.

"So much for simple," Rodney yelped and took off in what he hoped was the direction of the stargate. 

He wasn't sure if Sheppard had ended up on the planet with him or not and tried to glance around as he ran to see if John was nearby, then shook his head. "He's invisible, idiot," Rodney muttered to himself. He tried not to think about the fact that his best friend being invisible didn't faze him. 

There was a forest ahead of him, and Rodney ran into the copse of oak-looking trees. He glanced back, and when he didn't see any Genii, he stopped running and leant against the nearest tree, breathing hard. 

"Any ideas on how to find the 'gate?" he asked the invisible Sheppard, and bent forward with his hand on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. 

He waited a moment, and when he didn't get an answer, shook his head. "Great," he muttered to himself. He didn't remember seeing the Genii village, and with the sun directly overhead, he had no way to tell direction either.

"All right," he told himself as he straightened up, "if the bunker was that way." He pointed behind him. "That means the village had to be that way." He glanced off to his right. "So the 'gate must be in this direction," he concluded with a nod and started walking through the trees at a slight angle from where he thought the village was located. 

He hadn't gone far when he heard a branch snap to his left and Kolya walked out from behind one of the trees. "Leaving so soon, Doctor McKay?"

Rodney froze and backed up a few steps. "Stay away from me." He turned and ran in the opposite direction. He skidded to a stop a moment later when he saw Kolya on the path in front of him. "How did …" He glanced behind him. 

"You can't escape me, Doctor," Kolya informed him as he held up the knife in his hand.

Rodney backpedalled a few steps and felt the panic rising in his chest. He blinked, and suddenly Kolya was right in front of him. Rodney stumbled back and braced his hand on the nearest tree. "I already told you, I won't work for you."

"And I told you, there was no one to stop me," Kolya replied and held up the knife. 

Rodney watched the sunlight glint off the blade and swallowed.

"Now, where were we?" Kolya asked with a feral smile and reached for Rodney. 

Rodney shook his head and backed away from Kolya and the knife, at the same time, a white light flared between them. 

Kolya raised a hand, shielding his eyes from the light. He tried to push his way through the barrier, and Rodney heard a growl of frustration from Kolya when, after several seconds, he couldn't reach Rodney. 

Rodney stared in amazement, first at the light and then at Kolya as the commander backed off and glared at Rodney. Rodney looked around, trying to find the source of the light, and groaned as a pain spike hit him just before the light winked out. 

What the hell was that? he wondered, stumbling back a few paces as he rubbed his aching head.

_"It was a long fight, and I was about to give up and let it win when this white light appeared. I think that light was you … and the link."_

Rodney leant against one of the trees and felt the tingling at the base of his skull as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. Somehow John had used the link to keep Kolya away from him, Rodney realised. So what had happened to Sheppard? he wondered and rubbed the back of his head. 

"John?" he called and looked around. There was no answering voice or any more lights, but Kolya was still there, watching him intently. 

"Are you ready now, Doctor McKay?" Kolya asked, and smiled when he took a step toward Rodney and the light barrier didn't return. 

Rodney swallowed, pushed off the tree, and forced himself to face Kolya. "Ready for what?" 

"Ready to answer your fear," Kolya replied as he fingered the knife. 

"Answer my fear?" Rodney parroted as he stared at the knife. Was it the same knife? he wondered and rubbed his right arm. 

_"The whole point of this place is for you to come to terms with whatever is bugging you,"_ John had said. _"It isn't me you need to convince. It's yourself."_

Answer your fear. How the hell was he supposed to do that? Rodney wondered. He had already tried telling Kolya he wasn't afraid of the Genii commander. Clearly, that hadn't worked as he was still trapped on the planet.

_"It isn't me you need to convince. It's yourself."_

Rodney rubbed the scars on his arm, lost in thought. 

He had willingly gone with Kolya on Dagan. Granted that was to protect Sheppard and the others, but he had done it. Even after Kolya had threatened to shoot him and Elizabeth and had almost tossed him into the ocean surrounding Atlantis, Rodney had stuck to his plan. He wasn't going to let Kolya have the city even after his gaffe of telling the Genii about Sheppard and the plan to save the city from the storm. 

Since then, he had fought Wraith, he had stood up to Calum and his Genii soldiers on Rivis, he had even taken on Ford's enzyme-juiced goons and won. The thought dawned on him that contrary to what so many others had told him over the years, he wasn't a coward, after all. Situations could still scare the hell out of him, but he didn't run away. He swallowed his fear, stood his ground, and did whatever needed to be done. To protect Sheppard. To help his team. To save his city. 

Rodney took a couple of steps forward and met Kolya's piercing gaze with a resolved look of his own. "I'm not afraid of you," he said. "Not anymore." 

Kolya studied him for a moment, then stepped back and sheathed the knife. "Congratulations, Doctor McKay, you have successfully answered your fear." Kolya gave him a nod and brushed past him. 

Rodney turned in time to see Kolya vanish a few seconds later. He waited a moment or two, then bent forward and blew out a breath. "Is it over now?" he asked and looked around. "Sheppard?" he spun in a slow circle. "John?" he called and watched as the forest melted away around him. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Radek saw one of the tiles on the console in front of him start to blink and a string of text scrolled up one of the computer screens at the same time. "Sakra, co teď? Co jiného se dnes může pokazit?" he muttered under his breath as he typed a string of code into the laptop computer and read the results. 

"Radek?" Carson asked. 

"Something is happening inside Colonel Sheppard's compartment," Radek replied as he scanned the data on the laptop. "The console is registering a change in his brain wave activity." 

"So he's waking up, then?" 

"No." Radek shook his head and glanced at Sheppard's compartment. "These are not the same readings as the previous times when Colonel Sheppard or one of the others escaped one of the compartments." 

Beckett stared at him for a moment then hurried over to the alcove and studied the transparent panel. Radek followed him and watched as he read the various screens. "I was afraid something like this would happen," Carson said. 

"Doctor Beckett?" Teyla asked. "Is something wrong?" 

Carson glanced at her, and Radek saw the worried crease in Beckett's forehead. "I think Colonel Sheppard may be unconscious. I'm only seeing delta waves on his EEG." Carson looked at the rest of the panel. "We need to get him out of there. Now." 

Radek shook his head. "I am not certain --" 

Before Radek could finish his sentence, the panel slid open, and Sheppard fell forward. 

Radek caught him in an awkward hold and gave Teyla a grateful nod when she took some of Sheppard's weight as they eased him to the floor. 

"David!" Beckett called. "Get that gurney over here now," he ordered as he checked Sheppard's pulse. "Of all the stupid ideas," Radek heard him mutter as he helped Carson place an oxygen mask over Sheppard's nose and mouth. 

David appeared with the gurney, Sergeant Thompson a few steps behind. 

"Carefully," Carson said as Thompson helped David lift Sheppard onto the gurney. "Tell Doctor Cortes I want the scanner set up and ready to go when I get there. There's no telling what the stubborn fool did to himself," he said as David tightened the straps around Sheppard. 

David nodded. "Yes, sir." He finished with the straps, pulled the gurney up, and started for the door. 

"Derek, lad, go with him," Carson added with a nod at Thompson. "Go," Carson said when David paused near the door. "I'll be there as soon as I can." 

Sergeant Thompson nodded and grasped the foot of the gurney, making sure it didn't bang against the doorway as they left the room. 

Radek watched them leave then walked over to Rodney's compartment. From everything he knew after studying the Ancient equipment, Colonel Sheppard should not have been able to escape his alcove unless Rodney did as well. 

So why was McKay still stuck inside the machine? he wondered. 

"Doctor Beckett?" Radek called as he studied the panel in front of Rodney's compartment. "You might want to look at this?" 

"What's happening?" Beckett asked as he walked back over to Radek's side.

"Rodney's stats are changing," Radek replied and nodded to the panel. 

Carson glanced over the readings. "Teyla, David left another gurney in the hallway. If you would be so kind." 

"Certainly," she replied and hurried out of the room. She returned a few moments later with the gurney just as the compartment opened and Rodney stumbled out. 

This time, Radek was more prepared and caught Rodney as he started to fall. 

"Som'ting wrng wi' Shp'rd," Rodney slurred as his eyes rolled back and he went limp. 

Teyla pushed the gurney over to Radek, and together they settled Rodney on the stretcher. 

Radek stepped back as Carson bent down, checking Rodney over. 

How would he know such a thing? Radek wondered as Beckett passed Teyla an oxygen mask. Colonel Sheppard was already out of the room before Rodney's compartment had opened. So how did he know … 

Radek was only vaguely aware of Beckett and Teyla still huddled next to McKay as various memories flashed before his eyes. 

Rodney 'feeling' the vibrations of the console after he was blinded by the transformer exploding last year. 

Rodney, his eyes pinched and his mood more snappish than usual after Sheppard had been affected by Beckett's retrovirus, complaining frequently about how much his head hurt.

That reminder brought up other memories of Rodney popping pain pills after the trip to the Ancient satellite with Gall and Abrams and again after his team's return from Medar. On both of those occasions, Colonel Sheppard had been injured. 

Thinking about Mendar, reminded Radek of the small folio Rodney had brought back with him.

 _"Tell Chaudhri to assign someone to finish the translation of that book,"_ Rodney had demanded, countering his standing orders that anything not relevant to their immediate survival wasn't worth the time and effort of the linguistics team. 

Radek pinched his lip as more pieces fell into place. The rumors of Sheppard running out of Elizabeth's office after the transformer explosion. Half-heard comments between Colonel Sheppard and Elizabeth after a Wraith grenade killed Doctor Wallace and trapped Rodney and Ronon in one of the city's towers. 

He glanced at Rodney and noticed Teyla watching him. Radek schooled his features and walked back to the consoles in the middle of the room. He wasn't sure what he had just figured out, but he didn't want to make things more complicated for Rodney or Colonel Sheppard by blurting out a half-formed hypothesis. 

Observe and note your findings, Radek told himself. Don't say anything until you know more. He took a deep breath and turned as Carson and Teyla started to leave the room. 

"Doctor Beckett," he called and waited for Carson to turn around. "I could use your help with these systems." Radek nodded to the consoles. 

Carson glanced down at Rodney and nodded. "Give me a moment," he said to Teyla and walked over to the consoles. 

Carson squeezed his eyes shut and Radek nodded as the power levels dropped and the tiles on the various consoles went dark. Carson powered down the last console and stepped back. 

"I will double-check everything and then ask Elizabeth to post a guard outside the room," Radek said. "I do not think we want anyone accessing these systems." 

"No," Carson replied. He walked back over to Rodney, nodded to Teyla and, together, they pushed the gurney out of the room. 

Radek watched them leave, then turned back to the various computers plugged the consoles. "Co se to s tebou děje, příteli?" he muttered under his breath as he gathered up the computers and left the room.


	8. Chapter 8

John lay in that hazy space in between sleep and waking, listening to the sounds around him. There were soft footsteps and the tapping of someone's fingers on a computer. Rodney? he wondered. No, there was something wrong with that idea. It took a few more seconds for him to remember the stone room and the Ancient alcoves. 

He heard soft voices off to his left, shifted in the bed, and opened his eyes. The light was dim, and a quick look around showed him no Rodney sitting next to his bed focused on a computer working on one project or another. 

"Must be late," he muttered and pushed himself more upright in the bed.

Teyla lay in the bed across from him, curled on her side, asleep. Ronon lay in the bed next to her, also seemingly asleep. John looked to his right, and seeing Rodney in the next bed, he blew out a breath as he relaxed. 

It had worked. His rash plan for getting his team out of the Ancient machine had actually worked. John shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took stock of himself. His head ached, and he was exhausted, but he didn't seem to be hurt. He glanced over at Teyla and Ronon. Both were hooked up to a set of monitors, but there were no IVs or visible bandages that he could see. Another glance at McKay and John wasn't too surprised when he saw the nasal cannula helping Rodney breathe. 

The low voices cut off, and John looked up in time to see Carson walking toward his bed. John saw the annoyed expression on Beckett's face and did another quick check of his team. 

"What --" he asked to ask, but Carson cut him off. 

"You were damn lucky. I hope you realise that," Beckett said in a low growl. He stopped at the foot of the bed and glared at John.

"Good to see you too, Carson," John replied. 

He had hoped with everyone seemingly okay he'd avoid Beckett's scolding. He had known at the time that going back for McKay was dangerous, but he hadn't had much choice. 

"Of all the harebrained ideas you have had over the last year, this one might be the worst," Carson continued. "You were nearly in a coma, did you know that?" 

John stared up at him in surprise but was saved from the rest of Beckett's wrath when Rodney muttered something under his breath, and John saw his puckered forehead. 

Carson took a deep breath and waited until Rodney settled, then turned back to John. "It was a foolish risk," he said.

"But a necessary one," John replied. "The important thing is it worked, and we're all fine." John glanced over at Rodney. "We are all fine, aren't we?" 

Carson held his scowl for a moment longer, then relented. "Rodney's O2 levels are still low, and he's still sleeping off whatever was in that gas," Carson replied. "I don't expect him to be awake until sometime tomorrow." 

"Ronon and Teyla?" John asked and rubbed his head. 

"Should be fine," Carson replied. "I'll want to run more blood tests in the morning, but if everything looks good, I'll be releasing all of you." 

John dropped his hand and nodded. "How long have I been here?" 

"David brought you in a few hours ago. Rodney got here about thirty minutes later." 

John frowned. "That doesn't make sense. How did I get here before McKay? I thought --" 

"As I said, you were damned lucky," Carson replied as he pulled up a stool and sat between John's bed and Rodney's. "Apparently, those alcoves will open automatically, after all, if the person inside is unconscious." 

John ducked his head and thought back to those last few minutes inside McKay's vision. No sooner had he finished telling Rodney he wouldn't be abandoned than Atlantis disappeared around them only to be replaced with a vaguely familiar planet and lots of Genii soldiers. It didn't take a genius to know what, or in this case, who would be showing up next. John had known whatever happened next, McKay would ultimately have to be the one to deal with it, but when Kolya had grabbed for Rodney with a knife in his hand, instinct had taken over.

"It was the link," John murmured. "Had to be." 

Beckett grunted and pulled at the strap for the sling. "So I suppose your idea of using the link to connect to Rodney worked after all." 

John gave him a crooked smile. "Not exactly. Not surprising, Kolya was part of Rodney's … whatever." John waved one hand near his head. "He had a knife and was making threats. Before I really stopped to think about it, this white light surrounded McKay. Kept Kolya away from him." 

Carson glanced at Rodney, then back at John. "The same sort of light --" 

"As the one from the fight with the Other? Yeah, I guess so," John replied with a nod. "That's the last thing I remember." 

Carson leant back on the stool. "It would make sense you passed out, I suppose." He looked at John with another frown. "You were already exhausted. Using the link like that was simply the last straw." 

John sat in silence for a few moments as he wrapped his head around the idea that he'd been able to use the link even within the confines of the Ancient device. 

_"Both of you acted on a purely instinctual level. What you have experienced so far is only the beginning. The ability to share and use the power contained within the bond is only one of the benefits. With enough time and effort, there will be no limit to what you will achieve."_

What else would he or McKay eventually be able to do with the link? Would they get to the point where he or Rodney could manifest the light, or shield, or whatever it was in the real world? He glanced at Rodney's hand lying at his side. John had insisted that Yana had done the real work to heal the burns on McKay's hand but would one or the other of them one day be able to heal someone with only a touch? It was a level of power he wasn't ready for, didn't think he'd ever be ready for, and he was pretty sure Rodney wasn't ready to deal with it either. 

John rubbed his head as he considered what they had unwittingly signed up for by entering the Ancient gauntlet. 

"I'll be right back," Carson said with a tap on John's arm. 

He returned a few minutes later with a paper cup. He handed John the cup with the pain medication and poured him a glass of water. 

John swallowed the pills. "Thanks," he said and handed back the glass. 

"Get some rest, Colonel," Carson said, setting the empty glass back on the bedside table.

John nodded as Carson walked away. He glanced over at Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney as he settled back in the bed.

Definitely, worth the risk, he said to himself as his eyes drifted shut.

John heard the clatter of dishes and the low murmur of voices nearby and opened his eyes. Teyla sat cross-legged on her bed, an empty tray on the bedside table beside her, and a cup in her hand. Ronon looked up from finishing his breakfast and nodded. John glanced at the bed beside him and found McKay was still asleep.

"Good morning, Colonel," Teyla said as John pushed himself up in the bed. 

"Morning," John replied and nodded at Ronon. He felt his stomach growl and looked around for another breakfast tray.

"Doctor Beckett was here earlier," Teyla said as she set down her cup. "He took more blood samples and hopes to have the results soon." 

John nodded and sighed when he didn't see another tray or anyone he could ask for one. "How are you two feeling?" 

"I feel fine," Ronon said, and pushed his empty tray away. 

"I am also well," Teyla said. "And you?" 

John ran a mental check. "Tired mostly," he replied with another glance at Rodney.

"Doctor Beckett believes he will be waking up soon," Teyla said with a nod at McKay.

"'M 'wake now," Rodney mumbled and shifted in the bed.

John smiled. "Still sound asleep to me." 

Rodney opened his eyes and glared at John. "Who can sleep with all of the talking." 

"I am sorry, Rodney. We did not mean to wake you," Teyla said. 

Rodney waved off her apology and sat up. He reached up to remove the nasal cannula, but John stopped him with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't if I were you."

Rodney dropped his hands and frowned. "I don't suppose there's any chance for something to eat?" he asked with a glance at the empty trays next to Ronon and Teyla. 

John had a teasing comment on the tip of his tongue but stopped himself as one of Beckett's new nurses walked over and started checking their monitors. John smiled at her, ignoring Rodney's near-silent mutter of "Kirk". 

"Hello," John said to the nurse. 

The nurse glanced up from the computer in her hand and nodded. "Colonel Sheppard," she replied as she stepped over to Rodney's bed. 

"Good morning, Doctor McKay," she said to Rodney with a smile. "It's good to see you awake."

Rodney looked up at her in surprise. "Oh, umm, morning," he muttered. 

John shook his head and covered his mouth with one hand so Rodney wouldn't see his grin. 

"Your stats are better this morning," the nurse continued. "Doctor Beckett left instructions that if your saturation numbers were good, we could take this off." She bent forward, removed the cannula, and set it aside. "Better?" she asked with another smile. 

"Umm, thanks," Rodney replied with a nod and rubbed his nose. 

"You're welcome," she replied and tweaked the blanket on the bed. "You missed the first round of meals, I'll see about having someone bring you a tray," she added as she patted his arm. "My name is Dana, by the way. If you need anything, you just let me know, all right?" 

She turned to John and added. "I'll have one of the orderlies bring you a tray as well, Colonel." 

"Huh," John muttered. He stared after Dana as she walked away, then glanced at McKay still rubbing his nose, seemingly oblivious to what had just happened. 

"I believe you are too late, Colonel," Teyla said with a smile. 

John sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest as Teyla laughed. 

"What's so funny?" Rodney asked with a bewildered glance at John. 

"Don't worry about it," John told him as Ronon rolled his eyes. 

An orderly walked over to their corner a few minutes later with two trays on a cart. He gave one tray to Rodney, handed John the other, and collected the empty dishes from Ronon and Teyla before leaving. 

Rodney grimaced at the glass of juice on his tray, sighed, and picked up his fork. 

John silently agreed about the lack of coffee, but his rumbling stomach convinced him there were other priorities at the moment. 

Fifteen minutes later, Carson strolled over to their corner, carrying a tablet computer in his free hand. 

John finished the last of his juice and asked, "What's the verdict?" 

"According to your latest test results, there are only trace amounts of the sedative still in your systems. As long as you lot promise to take things slow today, it should be safe enough to release you." 

John glanced from Teyla, to Ronon, and then over at McKay. "We promise," John said to Carson. 

Beckett eyed him for a moment longer, then nodded. "I'll have someone bring you each a change of clothes. Once you're dressed, you're free to go." 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

John tapped on the metal doorframe for Elizabeth's office and waited for her to look up and wave him into the room. 

"John, it's good to see you. How are you feeling?" Elizabeth said as she set aside the report she'd been reading. 

"I'm fine. So are the others. No harm done, it seems," John replied as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of Weir's desk. 

Elizabeth nodded and clasped her hands together on the desk. "Radek stopped by earlier." She nodded to the report. "He thinks the machine is completely shut down and he's removed several of the control crystals from the consoles just to be sure." 

John nodded. "Good." He scrubbed a hand over his face as he settled back in the chair. 

Once again, his team had been lucky. They had figured out how to save themselves, and while the physical effects had been minimal, John wasn't so sure the same could be said for the mental toll the device had taken on them. 

Elizabeth studied his face for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

John shrugged. He knew Elizabeth only wanted to help, but the last thing he wanted to do was talk about Vance and Holland. Ford. "Nothing to really talk about. Everyone survived, that's the important part." 

Elizabeth pursed her lips, and to John's relief, she changed the subject. "Yours wasn't the only team to have an interesting day yesterday." 

"Oh?" 

"Major Lorne's team ran into some trouble with the local population on P7X-994." 

John frowned. "I didn't see any of them in the infirmary this morning." 

"No, thankfully it was nothing like that," Elizabeth replied. "They were following up on a planet survey they did a few weeks ago. The locals tell stories about a hidden city in the hills. Lorne and his team went back to find out more about it." 

"And?" 

"And apparently the local beer is very strong," Elizabeth replied with a smile. "The good news is, the locals are eager to show us this lost city." 

John sat up in his chair. "You think it could be Ancient?" 

"It's possible. It certainly warrants further investigation. Something tells me, once Rodney hears about this, he will want to see the city for himself. Major Lorne is going to need a little extra time to finish his report. We can review it and decide how to move forward with exploring the area." 

John nodded and stood from his chair. "Beckett has cleared all of us, so whenever you want to meet, we'll be ready." 

He turned toward the door, but stopped when Elizabeth added, "I know you say everything is fine, but are you sure you're all right? What you all went through. It couldn't have been easy." 

John glanced back at her. "I'm fine, really," he replied and left the office. 

He nodded to Chuck at the control console and left the control room with Elizabeth's question echoing in his head. He hadn't missed the fact that none of them had said anything in the infirmary about what the machine had shown each of them. Should he push? he wondered. Or let sleeping dogs lie? 

"Of course if Elizabeth is worried, it won't be long before she gets Beckett or Heightmeyer involved," he muttered to himself as he tapped the sensor for the transporter. Maybe he should check in with the others. At least give them a heads up about Weir's concerns and give them the chance to talk. 

John had a good idea where he would find each of them, decided to start with Teyla, and tapped the section of the map for the gym and work out rooms. He stopped outside the room Teyla normally used for her stick fighting classes a few minutes later, and John heard a soft shushing noise of fabric from inside the room. He glanced into the room, and watched as Teyla, wearing loose-fitting trousers and top, moved through the slow steps of a meditative form. 

Teyla nodded to him as John stepped into the room. He leant against the wall next to the door and watched as Teyla finished her form. 

"John," she said as she walked over to a bag sitting on one of the benches, "is everything all right?" 

John smiled and followed her over to the bench. "That's what I was going to ask you." 

Teyla patted the sweat from her face. "I am well," she replied. "Doctor Beckett --" 

John shook his head. "I wasn't talking about the gas," he said and hesitated. Teyla raised a questioning eyebrow, and John continued, "I never really saw much of …" He waved a hand in the direction of the tower. "But if you want to talk about it, I'm … umm, I'll listen." 

"I am all right," she replied. She opened a bottle of water and took a drink. "If I am honest, I found the experience rather cathartic." 

John snorted and shook his head. 

"You did not have a similar experience?" Teyla asked. 

John started to say 'no' but stopped himself. He had not enjoyed the confrontation with Vance, Holland, and Ford, but he had to admit he did feel, not better, but maybe it was now possible for him to live with the decisions he had made at the time.

"Maybe," John said with another shrug. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." 

Teyla nodded. "Truly, I am all right," she replied. She studied John's face for a moment, and he could tell there was something else she wanted to say. 

"What?" John asked. 

"It may be nothing," Teyla replied as she stuffed the towel and bottle back inside her bag.

"Something tells me it's not," John replied and crossed his arms over his chest. 

"I believe Doctor Zelenka may be close to discovering the truth about the link you and Rodney share," Teyla explained. 

John grimaced. He had already suspected as much himself based on the way Zelenka kept watching him while they worked to release the others from the machine. 

"What happened?" he asked. 

"Rodney was only semi-conscious when the device released him. He was mumbling that you were in danger, and I am afraid Doctor Zelenka heard him." 

"I don't suppose we could pass off what McKay said as a side effect of the gas?" John asked. 

Teyla shook her head. "I do not believe that will work. When you were released from your chamber, Rodney was still trapped. By the time Rodney was freed, you were no longer in the room." 

John rubbed a hand over his forehead. He didn't blame Rodney for the slip. He'd felt enough spikes to know there was no way to hide when one occurred. Still, it was a problem they would need to address sooner or later. While Radek may have only been suspicious before, hearing Rodney declare something was wrong with John when he wasn't even in the room, would only confirm in Zelenka's mind that something odd was going on.

"Did Radek say anything to you?" John asked with a resigned sigh. 

Teyla shook her head. "No, but I believe it is only a matter of time before he asks either you or Rodney about what he overheard." 

"Yeah," John muttered in agreement. 

Teyla shouldered her bag and turned toward the door. "I know the mental bond is not something you desire others to know about." John looked over at her and she continued, "However, I believe it could be good for Doctor Zelenka to know the truth."

"Maybe," John replied and followed her out of the workout room. 

"Whatever you and Rodney decide, I will support your decision," she said and squeezed his hand. 

"Thanks," John replied with a crooked smile. 

"I will see you later," Teyla said and walked back up the hallway toward the transporter.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney sat at the work table, components and crystals scattered in front of him as he worked on a prototype generator to work with his new dual shield and cloak emitters. The desire to tinker aside, he needed something concrete to think about. With the generator, all he needed to worry about was the mathematics of the energy conversion and the physics of how the shield and the cloak would interact within a known set of parameters. No need to consider the emotional conundrums about possible ascension. 

Rodney looked over at the computer on the other side of the table, busily digging through the Ancient database for any information on the machine they had found in the stone room. He'd need to know more about how the device was supposed to work before he could make any recommendations to Elizabeth on what to do with it. Tsao hadn't found anything, and to Rodney's frustration, his own attempts, so far, had come up empty as well. 

"Figures," he muttered to himself. Maybe the best thing to do would be to dismantle it, he thought with another glare at the computer. He didn't think Elizabeth or anyone else would dare to argue with him if he were to suggest it. 

Of course, then there would be no chance to learn anything about the technology itself, he reminded himself. He watched the computer churn through more of the database for a few seconds, then turned back to the generator. 

"Rodney?" Zelenka said from the open doorway an hour later. "I did not think you would be here today." 

Rodney looked up from the generator with a scowl. "Why wouldn't I be here?" 

"I just thought, with everything that happened yesterday --"

"Beckett says I'm fine," Rodney told him. He studied the array of control crystals in front of him and picked one up. "Was there something you needed?" he asked when Radek didn't leave. "It isn't as easy as you might think to integrate a ten-thousand-year-old shield system with another ten-thousand-year old cloaking generator." 

Zelenka walked over to the table and peered inside the generator housing. "It should be a simple matter of oscillating the harmonics of the energy field to either repel energy or absorb it," he said as he poked one of the crystals inside the generator. 

"Gee, why didn't I think of that," Rodney sarcastically replied and dropped the crystal in his hand. "It's not like I've been working on this for months. Just oscillate the harmonics," he mimicked and aimed a scowl in Zelenka's direction. "And what's your grand plan for aligning the new emitters to work with both the shield and the cloak?" 

Rodney saw the frown on Radek's face and rubbed his forehead in a vain attempt to ward off the growing headache. He'd been working on the generator ever since Carson had released him from the infirmary earlier that morning. Maybe he needed a break, he thought to himself. 

"Are you certain you are all right?" Radek asked, and Rodney heard the underlying concern in Zelenka's tone.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Just a headache." He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and picked up the crystal. He wasn't sure what the strange look Radek gave him meant and changed the subject. "What happened to the machine after it released all of us?" 

Zelenka eyed him for a moment longer, then sat down on the other side of the work table. "You were the last to escape from the compartments. Carson stayed long enough to help me power down the consoles, and Doctor Weir posted a guard overnight. Doctor Tsao and I went back this morning and removed the control crystals from the consoles. That should prevent anyone else from activating the machine." 

Rodney grunted and studied the delicate lines of filament inside the crystal in his hand. Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, none of them had said much about what they had experienced while inside the machine. He wasn't eager to have his vision, or whatever it was, dissected either but he wondered how long it would take before Carson or Elizabeth spoke to him and 'suggested' a few sessions with Heightmeyer.

All thanks to the Ancients and their obsession with ascension, he grumbled to himself. How many other such devices had the Ancients built with the same goal? he wondered. What would happen the next time they stumbled across one of them? He knew they had been lucky this time. Would they be so lucky again if there was a next time? 

Rodney pinched the bridge of his nose as his mind spun through various what-if scenarios. He hadn't given any thought to the idea of ascension in weeks, not since their last trip to Lurra. 

Had John? he wondered.

Beyond deciding they weren't ready to decide anything, neither of them had said much about Yana's explanation about the link or what would happen if they did not or could not ascend. 

"Rodney?" Zelenka said, pulling Rodney back to the present.

Rodney looked up at him, and Radek shook his head. "Never mind." Zelenka stood from the work table and took a few steps toward the door. "If you decide you want help with the cloaking generator, let me know." 

Rodney watched him leave with a puzzled frown. What's with the all strange looks? he wondered as Zelenka disappeared. He shook his head and went back to work on the generator. The sooner he had a working model, the sooner he could present his idea to Elizabeth and start the process of converting the existing systems. 

He had the field modulator back together and was working on ways to integrate the shield components when he heard voices in the hallway. 

"Ronon, hello," Zelenka said. "You don't come down here often, is there something I can do to help you?" 

"Looking for McKay," Ronon replied and Rodney looked up from the generator in surprise. "Is he down here?"

"Yes. He is in his lab," Radek replied, as the voices drew closer. 

"Thanks." 

A few seconds later, Dex walked into the lab and stopped near the desk. 

Rodney tossed the screwdriver in his hand back onto the work table. "If you're here to blame me for what happened with the Ancient device, don't bother," he told Ronon. 

"Not why I'm here," Ronon said. He stepped over to the work table, reached behind his back and pulled out a knife. 

Rodney swallowed hard as the overhead light glinted off the blade. He glanced from the knife to Dex and reminded himself that Ronon wouldn't really hurt him. 

Scare him, certainly, Rodney thought, mesmerised the knife in Ronon's hand, but not hurt him. 

Of course, that was before Dex had been trapped inside an Ancient machine that had forced him to relive who knew what sort of trauma. Ronon stepped closer to the work table and Rodney couldn't help his automatic reaction as he scooted back, keeping the same distance between himself and the knife. 

Ronon saw his reaction and Rodney thought he saw a hint of concern in Ronon's expression as he held the knife in two fingers and carefully set it on the work table, then stepped back. 

Rodney stared first at Ronon and then down at the knife and felt a jolt in his stomach when he recognised the serrated blade and the heavy hilt. 

_Kolya took the knife Calum handed to him with an evil smile. "You're going to tell me everything I want to know about your plan to save the city, Doctor McKay."_

_"I suggest you do as I ask, Doctor," Calum said as he fingered the knife at his belt. "You won't like the consequences if you don't."_

_"So there's probably something I should warn you about," John said. "Ronon brought something back from Rivis."_

The conversation with Sheppard had been weeks ago. With everything that had happened since their trip to Rivis, Rodney had completely forgotten John's warning that Ronon had brought the knife back with him. 

Rodney reached out and poked the hilt of the knife with a finger, then pulled his hand back. 

"Umm. Why?" he asked with a puzzled frown. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or surprised Ronon had brought the knife into the lab.

"You earned it." 

"I'm sorry. I earned it?" Rodney questioned with a scowl at Ronon and another wary glance at the knife. 

Rodney rubbed the scars on his arm and tried to ignore Ronon watching him. 

"What did that machine show you?" Ronon asked.

Rodney glanced from the knife to his arm. 

"That's what I thought," Ronon said.

"How did …?" 

"You're too easy to read, McKay. It wasn't hard to figure out." 

Rodney glowered at that, but Ronon stood unfazed and continued, "You stood up to him and you escaped the machine. That," he pointed at the knife, "is to remind you he doesn't hold the power any more. You do." 

Rodney leant forward and tapped the knife with his finger, watching in morbid fascination as the light bounced off the blade. "What am I supposed to do with it?" 

Ronon stepped forward, sheathed the knife in a leather scabbard, and set it back on the table in front of Rodney. "Whatever you need to," he replied and turned toward the door. 

Rodney waited until Ronon was gone, then picked up the knife. He pulled the blade partway out of the sheath and stared at it. Only Ronon would think he'd want the instrument of so much fear and pain, Rodney thought with a sarcastic twist of his lips. 

With Sheppard's help, he had been able to stand up to Kolya in the vision or whatever it was, but what would happen if he ever saw the Commander again in the real world? Rodney remembered the look on John's face when he had discovered exactly what Kolya had done, and he had the sneaking suspicion Sheppard had plans for Commander Kolya the next time they met.

He sheathed the knife, and set it on his desk. 

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Rodney sat out at the end of the pier later that afternoon, watching the light glint on the ocean as the sun set and listening to the water lap against the pylons below. He'd tried working on the generator after Ronon left the lab, but between the distraction of the knife on his desk and the memories of what he had seen inside the machine, he couldn't concentrate. 

The search of the Ancient database hadn't found anything on the device and Zelenka was still going through the information gathered on the computers, Rodney hoped one or the other would shed some light on how the machine worked and if there was a way they could safely use some of the technology. The SGC had been working on virtual reality training simulations, maybe there was a way to integrate the Ancient technology with their designs. 

"Kinda cold out here, isn't it?" Sheppard said. "I thought you hated being cold." 

Rodney glanced up at John standing beside him, Rodney's uniform jacket in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other, and shrugged. 

John sat down beside him and handed over the jacket. 

Rodney took it with a grateful nod. "Thanks," he said as he pulled on the coat. 

"So why are you out here?" John asked as he opened a can of beer and held it out to Rodney. 

"Wanted to think," Rodney replied and swallowed some of the beer. 

"About?" John asked as he opened another can and took a swig. 

"That machine. What I saw." He glanced at John. "Kolya." 

John grunted. 

"How did you do that, by the way?" Rodney asked.

"Do what?" 

Rodney rolled the beer can between his palms. "Make that light appear between me and Kolya." 

John shrugged. "Didn't really think about it at the time. I told you once before that I wouldn't let Kolya hurt you again. Guess it was just instinct."

Rodney nodded and stared out at the water. "Umm, thanks. Knowing you were there, it, umm, it helped, to umm, stand up to him." 

John smiled and set down his beer. "I wasn't there by then." 

Rodney looked up in surprise. 

"The last thing I remember is forcing Kolya back with the light," John said and leant back with his weight braced on his arms.

"So you weren't --" 

John shook his head. "Nope. You stood up to him by yourself." 

Rodney finished his beer as he considered the ramifications of what John had said. While he accepted the idea that maybe he wasn't as big of a coward as he'd been led to believe, one of the reasons he'd been able to face Kolya was because he had thought that Sheppard had been there with him. 

"I'm proud of you, buddy," John said as he handed Rodney another beer. 

Rodney took the can and stared out at the water as John's words sank in. 

"Ronon came down to the lab this afternoon," Rodney said after a few minutes of silence. He glanced over at John and found Sheppard watching him. 

"He gave you the knife. Didn't he?" John said as he opened another beer and took a drink. 

Rodney swallowed some of his beer and nodded. 

"Did you take it?" 

Rodney snorted. "He didn't give me much choice." 

John smiled. "So what are you going to do with it?" 

"No idea," Rodney replied. "Maybe I'll keep it in the lab. Maybe some of those so-called scientists I work with will think twice before bugging me with some half-baked idea if they see it on my desk." 

John shook his head and drank some of his beer. 

Rodney debated with himself for several seconds before he glanced at John and said, "So, umm, you know about Kolya and getting left behind. What, umm, what did you see?" 

John refused to look at him as he finished his beer and set the empty can to one side. 

Rodney ducked his head and hunched his shoulders. He knew getting John to tell him what the machine had shown him would be a long-shot. He was reasonably confident the entire incident was already locked in a box and shoved in a dark corner of John's mind. On the other hand, Rodney had lost count of the times John had been there for him. He was surprised to discover he was a little hurt that John wouldn't allow him to return the favor. 

"Lyle Holland," John said in a near-whisper as he opened another beer. "Scott Vance." 

Rodney had never heard of Holland, but he remembered the name engraved on a locked box from his glimpse inside John's memories while in the gauntlet. He did know who Scott Vance was, though, and it wasn't hard to figure out what the machine considered Sheppard's 'burden'. 

Rodney finished his beer and set the can aside. "And Ford?" he guessed with a glance at John.

John swallowed more beer as he stared out at the water and nodded. "Yeah." 

Rodney nodded and let the silence hang between them. 

"I guess I need to accept the fact Ford really is dead," John said after a brief silence.

"It wasn't your fault," Rodney told him and was surprised when John smiled. 

"Yeah, that's what he told me too." 

Rodney nodded and let the subject drop. He shivered and zipped his jacket higher as John finished his beer. He was about to suggest they go back inside when John looked over at him, his expression serious. 

"What?" Rodney asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. 

"We might have another problem," John said. "Zelenka might be close to figuring out about the link." 

Rodney remembered Radek's strange behavior in the lab earlier that afternoon and grimaced. That certainly explained the weird looks, Rodney thought to himself 

"Apparently, you fell out of that alcove and said something about me being in trouble right before you collapsed," John said, never looking at Rodney. "Which was kinda odd since I wasn't even in the room." 

Rodney sighed and hunched his shoulders. "Head was pounding, even in that vision, dream, whatever. I knew something was wrong." 

John nodded. "Teyla noticed him watching you after that," he continued, "but I think he was suspicious even before you said anything." 

Rodney rubbed his forehead. Great, he thought, now on top of everything else, he needed to worry about Zelenka asking awkward questions.

"Teyla also mentioned that she thought it might not be a bad idea if he knew everything." 

Rodney shivered from more than just the cool breeze and rubbed his forehead as he considered the idea of telling Radek the truth. It would be easier not needing to hide when he felt a spike or felt the tingling at the back of his skull, he reasoned. On the other hand, it only took one person saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, and he and John would be whisked off to some research facility before either of them could blink. 

"What do you think?" he finally asked. 

"I think it's getting too cold to sit out here," John replied. 

"That's not what I meant," Rodney said with a scowl.

John sighed and glanced down at the remains of the six-pack. "I don't know," he admitted. "Do you want to tell him?" 

Rodney shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe?" 

"Then unless Zelenka comes out and asks, we'll keep it just to the team," John said. 

They sat side by side watching the sun sink below the horizon until Rodney shivered. 

"Come on," John said as he climbed to his feet. He picked up his empties and the rest of the six-pack.

Rodney stuffed his empty cans in his jacket pocket and stood. 

"You hear about Lorne?" John asked as they walked back up the pier. 

"I heard about the singing," Rodney replied with a smile. 

John grinned. "Yeah. Something tells me he's not going to live that down any time soon. But his team did find out some interesting information. The local population on that planet knows about some ruins in the mountains. Could be worth a look." 

Rodney glanced down at the cans of beer in John's hand. "When we go, maybe we should stick to rations," he suggested. 

John laughed. "Might not be a bad idea," he agreed. 

FIN


End file.
